Jodha Akbar sweeps Film Fare
Bollywood stars Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra were declared the best male and female actors respectively at the glittering 54th Idea Filmfare Awards ceremony here on late Saturday night.
Slumdog tops Hollywood words
Slumdog Millionaire, the rags-to-riches movie that took the Oscars by storm, also produced two of the most influential words of the 2008 Hollywood awards season.
A language monitoring group said on Thursday that Jai Ho!, Hindi for Let There be Victory and the title of the movie’s Oscar Slumdog – the controversial term coined by the filmmakers for young slum-dwellers in Mumbai – were named the top “HollyWords” of the year that closed with last Sunday’s Oscars.
The Global Language Monitor, which uses an algorithm to track the frequency of words and phrases in the world’s print and electronic media, said it was rare for two words from the same movie to be ranked in its annual list.
Slumdog Millionaire crowned its awards sweep by winning eight Oscars, also including best picture and director.
Last summer’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull inspired the new expression Nuke the Fridge – a phrase coined on the Internet to describe a moment when a cinematic franchise has run its course.
The phrase came in third on the list, followed by Hmong – a mountain dwelling people in Laos – from the Clint Eastwood movie Gran Torino.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you….stranger”, the Joker’s twist on German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s epigram that was spoken by Heath Ledger in Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight was also among the Top Ten along with the line “There are no coincidences” from the animated movie Kung Fu Panda
Tevez says I want to win everything
Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez has his heart set on winning an unprecedented Quadruple with the Red Devils.
The first leg of what would be an historic achievement for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men comes this Sunday when they play Tottenham Hotspur in the Carling Cup final.
United are also leading the Barclays Premier League, fighting hard in the last-16 of the Champions League and are through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
Not surprisingly the Argentina international is eager to win as much as he possibly can.
“The best part of the season is coming up,” said Tevez of United’s trophy hunt.
“We’re in the last 16 of the Champions League, we are top of the league and we’re in the Carling Cup final.
“We want to win everything, that’s what the fans are demanding and we will try to win on all fronts.
“Let’s hope we can do that.”
Tevez is nearing the end of a two-year loan deal at Old Trafford with United having to negotiate a transfer fee and personal terms if they wish to keep him beyond the summer.
The pocket dynamo starred for United last season, but following the arrival of Dimitar Berbatov at Old Trafford, Tevez has subsequently found himself relegated to the bench far more often than he would like.
Even so, he is determined to give his all to the United cause.
“My personal goal is to play as many minutes on the pitch and score as often as I can for the team,” he added.
No salary hike next year, job cuts possible: TCS
As part of cost cutting measures to tackle global economic downturn, IT major TCS on Thursday said job cuts are possible and also ruled out salary hikes next year. TCS managing director S Ramadorai said “there would be no hike in salaries in the forthcoming year” and added that “job cuts are possible if the situation worsens”. Adding further that TCS has frozen “lateral intake” he said the company is reviewing variable pay component on employee salaries. The variable pay component of TCS employees differs between 22 per cent and 35 per cent of his/her gross salary, depending on employee rank, he said. Variable pay represents eight percent of the total revenue of TCS, whose headcount is 1.3 lakh. Ramadorai said the company is also looking into all aspects of cost reduction, including capex and infrastructure.
Martin Luther King III offers talks to terrorists
Martin Luther King III, son of legendary civil rights leader Martin Luther King Junior, believes in initiating dialogue with terrorists.
Speaking to mediapersons at the American Center in the city on Thursday, King III said: “We should even speak to a terrorist who has also a son or a daughter. We should open dialogue with them. That is the way we can tackle terrorism.”‘
King III, who is on the last leg of his 14-day visit to India to commemorate 50 years of his father’s visit to the country in 1959, said non-violence is the key to solutions of all conflicts. “It may be the terror at Mumbai, or the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians or the one at Sudan. I believe non-violence as a philosophy can succeed in solving all these conflicts,” said King who is the founder of Realising the Dream, an NGO that aims at promoting peace and harmony across the world as well as alleviating poverty.
Earlier in the day, King paid a visit to Mother House and offered floral tributes. Later King attended a lunch hosted by Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi. Those who attended the lunch included former chief minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray, Congress Legislature Party leader Manas Bhuniya, Leader of the Opposition Partha Chatterjee, artiste Shaoli Mitra, CPM state committee member Aveek Dutta and others.
The Governor presented books on Mahatma Gandhi to King. Later, he took him to Gandhi Memorial Bhavan at Beliaghata where Mahatma Gandhi stayed for almost one month during the 1947 partition.
High alert sounded in India Bangla border
Border Security Force went on a high alert along the Indo-Bangladesh border in the Northeast in the wake of today’s rebellion in the Bangladesh Rifles in the neighbouring country. In Shillong, BSF Director General M L Kumawat discussed the situation with border force Inspector General (Assam and Meghalaya Frontier) Prithviraj.
Constant vigil is being maintained along the border and the development in the neighbouring country is being closely monitored, BSF sources said. The sources, however, said there has been no additional deployment of forces along the border.
In Tripura, a close vigil was being maintained along the 856 km border with Bangladesh.
Chelsea wins 1-0 to Juventus
Didier Drogba rekindled Chelsea’s Champions League ambitions with a first-half matchwinner as Juventus were beaten 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.It gives Guus Hiddink’s side a slender advantage ahead of their last-16 second leg in Turin in a fortnight.Drogba, his season hampered by injury, suspension and a fallout with axed coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, looked back to his predatory best when he took a pass from Salomon Kalou and despatched the ball beyond Gianluigi Buffon in the 12th minute.Former Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri, now in charge of Juve, was given a warm reception by the home fans before the game.Ranieri is still held in high esteem by Chelsea fans even though he failed to win a single trophy during his four-year stint at Stamford Bridge.Ranieri’s welcome was reciprocated by the home fans for their new interim coach Guus Hiddink moments later.Hiddink was taking charge of a Chelsea side at home for the first time since his temporary appointment.
It was the English side who made the first inroads towards goal with Jose Bosingwa forcing Gianluigi Buffon into a save with a left-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area in the fourth minute.
Four minutes later Drogba almost opened the scoring when he got ahead of his marker to turn a cross from Bosingwa just over the crossbar.But the Ivorian put the home side in front in the 12th minute when a superb through ball from Salomon Kalou provided him with a clear-cut shooting opportunity and Drogba supplied the required finish in style.It was the perfect start for the English side although Juventus claimed Drogba was offside before he fired the ball home from 10 yards.In the 15th minute, Drogba should have made it two when he met a corner from Frank Lampard inside the six-yard box.But the Ivorian inexplicably headed the ball wide of Buffon’s right-hand upright.
It required a fine save from Petr Cech to preserve Chelsea’s lead in the 21st minute, when Alessandro Del Piero tried to find the corner with an angled drive that was tipped round the post.Juventus were enjoying their best spell of the game with Del Piero always a threat.In the 31st minute, Ashley Cole saw a 30-yard shot deflected wide of the target with Buffon flatfooted.
The Serie A side were struggling to match Chelsea’s determination and the English team’s passion was underlined by two bone-crunching tackles from John Terry in space of a few seconds.The second one left Mohamed Sissoko requiring treatment before being classed as able to resume his duties.
In the 41st minute, Pavel Nedved tested Cech with a 20-yard low drive that the Chelsea goalkeeper dealt with adequately enough.Juventus were finding it hard to cope with the physical side of the game and Mauro Camoranesi also required lengthy treatment before continuing.Two minutes before the interval a handball by Drogba gave Del Piero the chance to level the scores but his free-kick was hit straight at Cole.It could have been worse for the visitors had Kalou not slipped as he tried to get on the end of Cech’s long clearance.Chelsea continued their high tempo at the start of the second half.
Some fine work by Lampard on the edge of the penalty area culminated in a shot from Michael Ballack that was wide of the target.An away goal would have tipped the tie in favour of the Italians and Nedved again tried to outwit Cech with a long-range effort but the Chelsea keeper was at his most alert to deal with the threat.Drogba, a constant threat, almost scored his second of the night when he got ahead of Nicola Legrottaglie to head a cross fromBosingwa just wide.In the 50th minute Juventus lost the services of Camoranesi with a hamstring injury. He was replaced by Marco Marchionni.
Moments later John Mikel Obi was the recipient of a bad challenge by Cristian Molinaro and the Juve player was justifiably booked.Chelsea felt they should have had a penalty when Drogba was brought down by Legrottaglie in the 53rd minute but Portuguese referee Olegario Benquerenca rejected their appeals.It was all Chelsea now with a sustained spell of pressure ending in a 20-yard shot by Lampard straight at Buffon’s midriff.In the 57th minute, Ballack was yellow-carded for a foul on Nedved.
Cech was in trouble with a free-kick from Del Piero in the 59th minute. The Czech Republic international twice failed to gather the ball before it was eventually cleared by Terry.Marchionni then gave Cech a scare with an angled 25-yard drive that flashed just over the bar. Juventus piled on the pressure as the game entered the last 15 minutes but Chelsea’s rearguard admirably stuck to its task.Indeed, they prevented the Italian side from engineering a clear-cut chance despite having the lion’s share of possession in the closing stages.But it was Anelka who almost gave Chelsea the cushion of a second goal when his 20-yard effort flashed inches wide of an upright in the 87th minute.Nedved was wide by a similar margin in stoppage time but Chelsea held on for a deserved victory.
Goal less draw Manu Vs Intermilan
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has slammed referee Luis Medina Cantalejo after Tuesday’s 0-0 draw with Man United.
At a packed to capacity San Siro, the Serie A table-toppers were often made to play second fiddle to a United team who are attempting to retain the trophy they won last May in Moscow.
With the second leg to come at Old Trafford in a fortnight’s time, Mourinho has wasted little time in attacking Cantalejo, who the flamboyant Portuguese coach believes failed to referee the tie evenly.
“Maybe in the second leg we will have a referee who is on our side.
“I don’t want to go into details of things like how we didn’t have a penalty. Everything was against us, every little detail.
“You watch how many free-kicks they had and we had. The way we got yellow cards and they did not. I think the tendency was clear.
Despite a succession of clear chances, including one in the last seconds that Cristiano Ronaldo cannoned into Julio Cesar’s chest, a vital away goal for United would not come.
Whilst admitting that he was disappointed with the draw, Ferguson was quick to rubbish Mourinho’s suggestion that the match officials had been biased towards the visitors.
Is he serious? I saw a marvelous refereeing performance,” declared the wily Scot.
“Of course, there’s a disappointment that we have not won the game, but with our record at Old Trafford we should have a great chance.
“I just hope it (the draw) foes not come back to bite us,” Ferguson added
26/11 Attacks
Militants behind last year’s attacks on Mumbai used cell phones that were activated in the United States and paid for with funds sent from Italy, an Italian newspaper reported on Tuesday.Corriere della Sera daily said India sent the intelligence information to Italy and other countries so anti-terrorism investigators could attempt to expose any ties to the network behind the November assault that killed at least 179 people.
Islamabad acknowledged for the first time this month that the November assault was launched from, and partly planned in, Pakistan.Corriere said Italian authorities were investigating a wire transfer sent to the United States from the northern Italian city of Brescia by a Pakistani-born suspect.
The suspect, named Javaid Iqbal, sent the funds via Western Union to pay for five cell phones with Austrian country codes – three of which were used by the attackers, Corriere said, citing the Indian dossier
Rahman’s family at oscars
A.R Rahman graced the red carpet event before the beginning of 81st Annual Academy Award with his beautiful wife Saira Rahman. She is wearing some stunning traditional clothes. Love her for that!
Ambani’s reunion
Mukesh and Anil Ambani, who parted their ways in 2005, will be once again come together under the same roof on Tuesday on the occasion of their mother’s 75th birthday. This has triggered a speculation of a possible rapprochement between the two.
There have been reports time and again about a possible reunion between the two ever since they shook hands at an industrialists’ meet convened by Opposition Leader L K Advani at his residence in the capital last year.
The family reunion at the celebrations on Tuesday would see the two siblings coming face to face for the third time in less than two months.
No comments could be obtained from spokespersons of both the sides despite several attempts for comments on whether the two siblings would be present at the birthday celebrations of Kokilaben. S
She had hammered a truce deal between Mukesh and Anil to end more than a year long ugly battle being fought in public domain.
A family source indicated that it had always been Kokilaben’s endeavour to ensure that past should not come in the way of the relationship in the family, while the two brothers continue to grow their businesses.
A.R.rahman wins 2 Oscars
It was a dream run at the Oscars for India. Filmmaker Danny Boyle’s rags-to-riches romance set in India, Slumdog Millionaire, won eight Oscar awards for best feature film, direction, original song, original score, sound mixing, editing, adapted screenplay and cinematography. Smile Pinki, a 39-minute short film in Hindi and Bhojpuri, directed by Emmy-nominated producer Megan Mylan won the best documentary short subject Oscar.Rahman he is a true Patriot he dint even forget the national language and his mother toungue and praised his mother and the only God.His speech was true and his performance of o saaya was scintillating.
Yuvraaj a Subhash Gai creation…..
Yuvraaj starring Salman khan,Katrina Kaif…Music:A.R.rehmaan
The film is said to be a typical creation of SUbash Gai.In thios movie salman plays a role of a warrior.The movie is much awaited and people are waiting to see Salman in his 6 pack.whether slmaan will come first in the race in which King khan is leading checkout the movie relwasing next friday.It is believed that Subhash Ghai was shooting for Yuvraaj on a 10 day schedule in Panvel. While Salman who is also known for his hospitality invited everyone for a lavish dinner party on the last day of the shoot.
A close friend of Salman says “Yuvraaj is 75% complete but Salman doesn’t need any reason to celebrate. He keeps such celebrations with his friends at his farmhouse. Last week he invited Anil Kapoor, Zayed Khan, Subhash Ghai and others at his farm house where Katrina played a perfect host. This puts this rumor to the rest that Salman and Katrina are no more a couple.”
Speaking about the bash Subhash Ghai said “It was great fun at Panvel shooting with these actors, who were full of excitement. Salman was also a perfect host by inviting us to his Panvel farmhouse.”
It seems Salman who plays title role in Yuvraaj, has same qualities in real life too!
Christiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo the Mancheter united star scored his 100 n 101 goal againt stoke city at old trafford….
The red devils won the game with a great margin by out playing the Stroke’s to a 5-0 victory.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Manchester United hammered sorry Stoke 5-0 at Old Trafford.
The Portugal winger opened the scoring after just three minutes, his 100th United goal, with a trademark free-kick and Michael Carrick made it 2-0 on the stroke of half-time.
Salman sayz Vivek an Idiot
Salman spoke about his film experience and about Vivek Oberoi and about the Khan’z to a popular magazine.
Salman said Vivek is an Idiot…….Im not used to a particular group of people…he said where vivek was one among them.He said he is ok with the Bachans… ‘Ive did 2 films with Amitabh sir n one with Abishek Bachan.
Asked about his marriage with Katrina he said it wil happen whenever ……Salman was hot n his musclesa were bulging to the maximum. Salmaan s working with Subhash in his film Yuvraaj which is going to get released this friday.
Gambhi,Yuvraj,Yousuf put their hands together
India in Command of the series
Though we lost 3 wickets early Gambhir played a brilliant knock and he gave a hand to the flashing yuvraaaj
singh to put on a decent total of 292.Finally we should not forget the half century made by yousuf although
he din play few matches after ipl ,but today he proved himself and booked his spot for the next odi.He was
thrashing the ball all over the park and he reached his half century wit 4sixes in his bag.he was 50* of 29
balls.Though India lost wickets at the last few overs hos batting overcame everything Yuvraaj himself
proved the best by scoring back to back 100 and has told the selectors about his form.He is the second
Ganguly for INDIA….
Anushka teaches Shah Rukh to groove in ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’
ShARUKH Rukh RUkH
wanna c d video of Sharukh n Anushka Sharma jus click http://news.sawf.org/Bollywood/54629.aspx to see the full song
A new promo for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi has Bollywoood debutante Anushka Sharma teaching Shah Rukh Khan to groove to the stirring beats of the song Dance Pe Chance.
In the promo, Anushka Sharma shows some impressive dance skills which could well make her the darling of young Indian cine goers in the days to come.
Indeed, it is interesting the way
Yash Raj is promoting her in their promos, focusing on her almost as much as they are focusing on Shah Rukh Khan, which is probably a measure of their confidence in the talents of the promising young star that they discovered after a nation wide search.
Japan into recession
Japan sank into recession in the third quarter, even before it felt the full force of the financial crisis, and world leaders gave a little hope of rescuing the world economy.With the euro zone also in recession, the U.S. economy shrinking in the third quarter and China slowing sharply, markets shrugged off pledges to stimulate growth from leaders of the Group of 20 nations.
The yen and U.S. dollar pressed higher as investors pulled cash away from emerging markets and riskier assets. Oil fell more than $1 to below $56 a barrel and stock markets slid in early Asian trading.
While the Japanese economy was weakening, the pace of the decline was unexpected. Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted the economy would expand 0.1 percent. Instead it shrank by 0.1 percent as exports crumbled faster than they had thought.
The third-quarter data did not capture the full impact of the crisis that exploded in September, destroying Wall Street banks and threatening to rupture the global financial system.
Japan had largely escaped the first shockwaves of the crisis triggered last year by U.S. mortgage defaults. It felt the first major tremors in October when the Tokyo stock market crashed forcing banks to try to replenish capital and the yen surged, sideswiping exporters facing their toughest markets in decades.
“I think that it is possible for the negative growth to continue in the second half of the fiscal year,” said Tatsushi Shikano, a senior economist at Tokyo’s Mitsubishi UFJ Securities.
“The economy abroad, especially the United States, is slowing down and it is likely that exports will remain weak,” he said.
The euro zone is in its first recession and the U.S. economy only avoided one earlier this year because of a stimulus plan. Most economists say the United States is probably already in recession, although official data confirming that will not come until January.
Leaders of the world’s 20 largest economies, meeting in Washington over the weekend to address the worst financial crisis in 80 years, agreed on a host of fiscal and monetary steps to rescue the global economy.
But they left it to individual governments to tailor their response to their own circumstances and troubled industries.”Taken as a whole, it does not appear that the outcome of the summit will be sufficient to stem the financial crisis. This was a high bar from the start,” said Marc Chandler, global head of currency strategy with Brown Brothers Harriman in New York.
NOKIA codes
All Nokia Codes
NOKIA
Nokia Universal Codes
Code Description :
These Nokia codes will work on most Nokia Mobile Phones
(1) *3370# Activate Enhanced Full Rate Codec (EFR) – Your phone uses the best sound quality but talk time is
reduced my approx. 5%
(2) #3370# Deactivate Enhanced Full Rate Codec (EFR) OR *3370#
(3) *#4720# Activate Half Rate Codec – Your phone uses a lower quality sound but you should gain approx 30%
more Talk Time.
(4) *#4720# Deactivate Half Rate Codec.
(5) *#0000# Displays your phones software version, 1st Line : Software Version, 2nd Line : Software Release
Date, 3rd Line : Compression Type.
(6) *#9999# Phones software version if *#0000# does not work.
(7) *#06# For checking the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI Number).
( #pw+1234567890+ 1# Provider Lock Status. (use the “*” button to obtain the “p,w”
and “+” symbols).
(9) #pw+1234567890+ 2# Network Lock Status. (use the “*” button to obtain the “p,w”
and “+” symbols).
(10) #pw+1234567890+ 3# Country Lock Status. (use the “*” button to obtain the “p,w”
and “+” symbols).
(11) #pw+1234567890+ 4# SIM Card Lock Status. (use the “*” button to obtain the “p,w” Go to Top
and “+” symbols).
(12) *#147# (vodafone) this lets you know who called you last.
(13) *#1471# Last call (Only vodofone).
(14) *#21# Allows you to check the number that “All Calls” are diverted to
(15) *#2640# Displays security code in use.
(16) *#30# Lets you see the private number.
(17) *#43# Allows you to check the “Call Waiting” status of your phone.
(18) *#61# Allows you to check the number that “On No Reply” calls are diverted to.
(19) *#62# Allows you to check the number that “Divert If Unreachable (no service)” calls
are diverted to.
(20) *#67# Allows you to check the number that “On Busy Calls” are diverted to.
(21) *#67705646# Removes operator logo on 3310 & 3330.
(22) *#73# Reset phone timers and game scores.
(23) *#746025625# Displays the SIM Clock status, if your phone supports this power saving feature “SIM Clock Stop
Allowed”, it means you will get the best standby time possible.
(24) *#7760# Manufactures code.
(25) *#7780# Restore factory settings.
(26) *#8110# Software version for the nokia 8110.
Go to Top
(27) *#92702689# Displays – 1.Serial Number, 2.Date Made, 3.Purchase Date, 4.Date of last repair (0000 for no
repairs), 5.Transfer User Data. To exit this mode you need to switch your phone off then on again. ( Favourite )
(28) *#94870345123456789 # Deactivate the PWM-Mem.
(29) **21*number# Turn on “All Calls” diverting to the phone number entered.
(30) **61*number# Turn on “No Reply” diverting to the phone number entered.
(31) **67*number# Turn on “On Busy” diverting to the phone number entered.
(32) 12345 This is the default security code.
press and hold # Lets you switch between lines
NOKIA5110/5120/ 5130/5190
IMEI number: * # 0 6 #
Software version: * # 0 0 0 0 #
Simlock info: * # 9 2 7 0 2 6 8 9 #
Enhanced Full Rate: * 3 3 7 0 # [ # 3 3 7 0 # off]
Half Rate: * 4 7 2 0 #
Provider lock status: #pw+1234567890+ 1
Network lock status #pw+1234567890+ 2
Provider lock status: #pw+1234567890+ 3
SimCard lock status: #pw+1234567890+ 4
NOKIA 6110/6120/6130/ 6150/6190
IMEI number: * # 0 6 #
Software version: * # 0 0 0 0 #
Simlock info: * # 9 2 7 0 2 6 8 9 #
Enhanced Full Rate: * 3 3 7 0 # [ # 3 3 7 0 # off]
Half Rate: * 4 7 2 0 #
NOKIA3110
IMEI number: * # 0 6 #
Software version: * # 0 0 0 0 # or * # 9 9 9 9 # or * # 3 1 1 0 #
Simlock info: * # 9 2 7 0 2 6 8 9 #
NOKIA 3330
*#06#
This will show your warranty details *#92702689#
*3370#
Basically increases the quality of calling sound, but decreases battery length.
#3370#
Deactivates the above
*#0000#
Shows your software version
*#746025625# This shows if your phone will allow sim clock stoppage
*4370#
Half Rate Codec activation. It will automatically restart
#4370#
Half Rate Codec deactivation. It will automatically restart
Restore Factory Settings
To do this simply use this code *#7780#
Manufacturer Info
Date of Manufacturing *#3283#
*3001#12345# (TDMA phones only)
This will put your phone into programming mode, and you’ll be presented with the programming menu.
2) Select “NAM1″
3) Select “PSID/RSID”
4) Select “P/RSID 1″
Note: Any of the P/RSIDs will work
5) Select “System Type” and set it to Private
6) Select “PSID/RSID” and set it to 1
7) Select “Connected System ID”
Note: Enter your System ID for Cantel, which is 16401 or 16423. If you don’t know yours,
ask your local dealer for it.
Select “Alpha Tag”
9) Enter a new tag, then press OK
10) Select “Operator Code (SOC)” and set it to 2050
11) Select “Country Code” and set it to 302 for Canada, and 310 for the US.
12) Power down the phone and power it back on again
ISDN Code
To check the ISDN number on your Nokia use this code *#92772689#
Sushmita Sen escapes
The Bombay High Court on Monday revoked the show cause notice issued to Bollywood actor Sushmita Sen in the Land Cruiser import case, as the prosecution said that there was no evidence of her involvement in any kind of scam.
The Mumbai police and the Custom authorities are currently probing an inter-State car import racket that brings foreign cars to India evading duty. Government pleader Dhairyasheel Nalavade told the High Court that “till date there is nothing against the petitioner .”
Ms. Sen bought the car in 2005. Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) sought a penalty of Rs. 23 lakh from her for evading octroi.
The High Court, last year, held that MCGM cannot impose penalty and only a court of law could do that.
But the court also issued a show-cause notice to her, seeing that there was prima facie some misrepresentation of facts on her part and an attempt had been made to evade customs duty. Following this, police started investigating the case. They found that there was an interstate racket that brought cars to India using ‘transfer of residence’ exemption. If a person brings his own car to India, he has to pay much less duty.The racketeers prepared fake documents to import cars, which were then sold to buyers here.
Haren Choksi, the agent through whom Ms. Sen acquired the car, is allegedly involved in this racket
Bill Clinton could pose Cabinet block for Hillary
Clintonz……
Former President and the futuristic secretary of state Hilary………..
Former President Bill Clinton’s international business dealings, global foundation and penchant for going off script could present a significant obstacle to Hillary Clinton becoming secretary of state, observers say.Bill Clinton’s extensive global ties could cause conflict if Hillary Clinton is appointed as secretary of state.
On the one hand, his established relationships with world leaders could instantly make the New York senator a welcome face in embassies around the world. On the other, his complicated global business interests could present future conflicts of interest that result in unneeded headaches for the incoming commander-in-chief.”These are issues that I’m sure are being discussed, and they will have to be worked out, and it’s legitimate to ask these questions,” said James Carville, a former aide to the Clintons . Two officials with President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team confirm to CNN that it is investigating Bill Clinton’s finances and post-presidential dealings. As part of the early vetting process, the team is looking for any negative information that could throw the prospect of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state into jeopardy .
A particular issue could be the donor list of Bill Clinton’s global foundation, which might show connections to international figures who push policies that might conflict with those of the new Obama administration.Obama last week asked Clinton if she would consider being his secretary of state. Clinton’s response is expected this week.Since exiting the Oval Office eight years ago, Clinton has reportedly raised more than $500 million for the foundation, a significant portion of which financed the construction of his presidential library. The foundation has also doled out millions for AIDS relief in Africa and other charitable causes around the world.
Amid repeated criticism from Sen. Clinton’s primary opponents, Bill Clinton would not reveal the extent of the foundation’s donor list earlier this year. But The New York Times has reported the list includes some foreign governments, including members of the Saudi royal family, the king of Morocco, a fund connected to the United Arab Emirates, and the governments of Kuwait and Qatar.
The former president has also reportedly solicited funds from international business figures connected to human rights abuses that his wife has outwardly criticized, including the governments of Kazakhstan and China.During the New York senator’s White House bid, critics repeatedly said that foreign governments and business executives could try to exert influence through donations to the foundation, prompting a pledge from the former president to publicly disclose all future donors.Observers say the same criticism is likely to be raised should Hillary Clinton become secretary of state, especially if countries she is dealing with on the diplomatic stage have at the same time donated heavily to her husband.
The matter could be complicated even further if it remains unclear exactly which foreign governments are supporting Clinton’s foundation and to what extent. On Monday, Politico reported that Obama’s team is seeking more information about the former president’s finances and is growing frustrated over the Clinton camp’s response.
The Obama officials disputed the Politico report, but confirmed the transition team is seeking unspecified records from the former president to get a better handle on issues related to his foundation work and presidential library to try to deal with potential conflicts of interest.Also at issue is the former president’s role in general should his wife become secretary of state. Since leaving office, Bill Clinton has become a globetrotter of sorts, amassing millions in speaking fees as he gives talks before corporations around the world.The Obama administration would probably seek to curtail that practice amid worries that the former president’s words could contradict those of his wife at times and make unclear to some just who is speaking for the United States government. But it’s unlikely that Clinton, who has always enjoyed the spotlight, would be willing to retreat from the public eye.”She really has to sit down with her husband and work through where does this leave him,” said David Gergen, who worked in Clinton’s White House. “After all, he’s very deeply involved in the Clinton Global Initiative, doing good around the world. Could he continue to do that? Would he have to shut it down? Could he take money from people? There are lots of secondary questions.”Even more problematic could be the former president’s history of going decidedly off message during speeches and his willingness to blatantly speak his mind seemingly without regard for the political fallout.During her presidential bid last year, Sen. Clinton at times publicly criticized her husband for things he said on the campaign trail, and in one particularly embarrassing moment for the campaign, she told him to “knock it off.”But ultimately, the duty of keeping the former president in check may fall to the New York senator should she assume the top diplomatic post.
Yahoo CEO to Stepdown
YAHOO CEO
Search of yahoo CEO continues as Yang decides to step down as yahoo cheif……..
Yahoo Inc said Jerry Yang will step down as chief executive as soon as the board finds a replacement, sending its shares up 4 percent on hopes his departure will clear the way for a deal with Microsoft.
Yang — who will return to his former role as Chief Yahoo, focusing on strategy and technology — tried to carve an independent strategy for Yahoo and was blamed when Microsoft Corp walked away from an offer to buy the company earlier this year.Rival Google Inc abandoned a search advertising partnership amid regulatory concerns, and Yang faced a growing chorus of criticism from investors and analysts as Yahoo’s shares nosedived.
Yahoo’s months-long talks with Time Warner Inc about combining with its AOL unit — as yet another way to boost Yahoo’s earnings — have also failed to produce a deal.
“The company is in desperate need of change and this is clearly one way to do it,” said Ross Sandler, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, adding that Microsoft could enter the picture again. “Jerry was the roadblock for the last deal getting done.”
Yang has consistently said that he would sell the company for the right price.Microsoft declined to comment.Yahoo shares rose to $11.10 in after-hours trading from their Nasdaq close of $10.63.The shares are down nearly 65 percent from their 52-week high of $30.25, reached in February, two weeks after Microsoft made its $31-a-share offer public.Microsoft withdrew its $47.5 billion buyout offer in May after Yahoo rejected the sweetened bid.Yang, a co-founder of Yahoo, took on the CEO role in June 2007, hoping to strengthen its position as an online consumer brand.”From founding this company to guiding its growth into a trusted global brand that is indispensable to millions of people, I have always sought to do what is best for our franchise,” Yang said in a statement.
Last month, Yahoo announced it planned to cut at least a tenth of its workforce, or about 1,500 jobs, as corporate brand advertisers scaled back spending on Web marketing promotions amid a global economic downturn.In an e-mail sent to employees, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, Yang said his decision to step down was taken jointly with Yahoo’s board.
“All of you know that I have always, and will always bleed purple,” Yang wrote, referring to Yahoo’s corporate color.Yang has been talking with the board, which includes activist investor Carl Icahn, about stepping down since before Google pulled out of the search deal in early November, said a person familiar with the talks.Icahn did not return a call seeking comment.CHIEF YAHOO AGAIN
Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock is leading the effort to find a replacement, said Yang, who will continue to serve as a director.
“Jerry was miscast in this CEO role as far as running Yahoo at this point,” said Martin Pyykkonen, an analyst at Wunderlich Securities. “He’s much better off running strategy or technology behind the scenes.”
Pyykkonen said it was a step in the right direction for Yahoo, but warned that a lot depended on the board’s choice to replace Yang.”Because he’s stepping down doesn’t mean the company is going to magically be wonderful again,” he said.Yahoo has hired the executive search firm of Heidrick & Struggles to look for both internal and external candidates.The process could take anywhere between four weeks and 12 weeks.
MIG Fighter Kisses the earth again
MIG HITS THE LEVEL 0
Siliguri/New Delhi: A MiG-23 trainer aircraft crashed near Alipurduar in north Bengal on Monday, but the two pilots bailed out safely. This is the fifth incident involving the Russian-designed jets this year.
The film Rang DE Basanti has shown us the truth involving the MIG fighter crashes.This is the 5 accident that has taken place and luckily there are no lives buried.This type of accidents are due to the pilots lack of experience or due to the parts that are used here.This type of crashes are increasing wil Government take this issue into consideration??? or the students should take part in this and make it as an basanti climax.Come on India its enough start thinking about this .Militants are giving their lives to us inturn we should put our hands together and help them in these issues….
Dutch couple pays $204 for samosas
A Dutch couple on a visit to the eastern Indian state of Bihar paid 10,000 rupees ($204) for four samosas, a spicy deep-fried snack that usually doesn’t cost more than a few rupees, a newspaper reported on Monday.
After the tourists ate the snacks, a stall owner at the Sonepur cattle fair last week told them his “special” samosas cost more because they were made of herbs and had aphrodisiac qualities .
After an argument, the couple paid the shopkeeper. But they later complained to a policeman.
Police forced the shopkeeper to return the change — 9,990 rupees
Thats INDIA n Indians wont miss any oppurtunity
Companies that are involved in giving PINK slips
Pepsi said that it is going to cut jobs for 3150 employees approximately.This is due to the global financial crisis sources said.
HSBC a leading bank is going to cut 500 jobs across asia….
CITI bank is going to give pink slips to the business and management sector and this is mainly to get going eith the fibnancial crisis.
Totally all over the world the IT sector has suffered with 82% in their recruitments.All companis have dropped recruting by 82%.
Hollywoods over exposed celebrities
65% of the people say Over Exposed when they speak about Paris Hilton.
According to Los Angeles-based E-Poll Market Research, which provides “appeal” rankings for nearly 4,500 celebrities. To put that in perspective, most celebrities average between 3% and 7% on the E-Poll celebrity index during the peak of their careers.But Hilton isn’t the only star to have worn out her public welcome. Audiences have tired of Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Pamela Anderson, among others. And while overexposure may have less to do with the precise number of headlines than it does the public’s perception, the 10 celebrities on our list have proved that familiarity can, and does, breed contempt.
All press is good press, the old adage goes. This does not apply to Paris Hilton.The celebutante’s every move, from her club-hopping to her jail stint to her search for a new best friend has proved fodder for the flashbulbs and celebrity press. But what has the incessant coverage garnered her? Eye rolls–and worse, audience disinterest
Whoz to be blamed??
“Is it the paparazzi’s fault? They contribute,” says Lori Levine, chief executive of talent brokering firm Flying Television. “Is it the insatiable appetite of the American public? That contributes. Is it the invention and obsession with YouTube? Yes, that contributes too.”
And don’t forget the growing list of spotlight-seeking stars that chase the flashbulbs as much–if not more–than the flashbulbs chase them. Consider Lohan, third on our list, who seems to make a habit of migrating to paparazzi stalking grounds like Les Deux, Villa and trendy eatery Katsuya.
Star Editor-in-Chief Candace Trunzo says that if celebrities don’t want to line the pages of her magazine, they don’t have to. “By and large, if you really want to be a private person and live a private life, you can do it,” she says, citing Johnny Depp as an example.
But many crave the limelight for good reason. Unlike Depp, they don’t have a steady stream of projects keeping them in the public eye. Rather, they rely on media attention to keep them relevant–and famous.
Take The Hills’ best friend-turned-best enemy Heidi Montag, who lands at No. 10 on our list. With both her music and fashion forays proving flops, she has managed to parlay her on-again-off-again relationships and outings with MTV co-star Lauren Conrad and bad boy beau Spencer Pratt into tabloid-worthy fodder. (Had we expanded our list, Pratt would have ranked No. 12).
“Heidi and Spencer have turned overexposure into an art form,” says In Touch Editor-in-Chief Richard Spencer, who marvels at the flashbulb-focused lovers’ vast numbers of petty feuds and photo ops.
Levine agrees. “Heidi and Spencer are the ones that really understand, more than anyone else, what it takes,” she says. “They’re unabashedly unashamed about being completely overexposed.” And their reward for it: Still more exposure.
Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman on Red Carpets for the movie Australia
Red carpets were rolled out in Sydney and the dusty outback on Tuesday for the world premiere of the epic movie “Australia” which aims to showcase the rugged continent, its history and indigenous people to the world.
Director Baz Luhrmann’s ambitious and grandly named film, the most expensive made in Australia, was released amid a blaze of publicity and a race to finish the movie on time.
Australian co-stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman have both carved out lucrative Hollywood careers but wanted to work with Luhrmann, a perfectionist who was so busy editing the film until the last moment that the cast did not see it before the premiere.
“I knew we would get there but it has been a long time,” Jackman told Reuters as he walked the red carpet in Sydney, while screenings were held in three other Australian locations.
The two-hour 40-minute long movie, which is reported to have cost News Corp’s 20th Century Fox about US$130 million, is a World War Two drama set in stunning Australian landscape.
An English aristocrat (Kidman) travels to Australia and joins forces with a “drover” or cowboy (Jackman) and an Aboriginal child to drive a herd of cattle across Australia, falling in love along the way.
Australia is pinning high hopes on the romantic adventure, which Luhrmann said he had filmed in the style of “Gone With The Wind” hoping to make his mark on Australian film history, but it remained to be seen if it would draw audiences globally.
“There will be some (bad reviews), and there will be some people who really embrace it,” said Luhrmann, admitting spending such a large amount on an old-fashioned style movie was a risk.
HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Early reviews from Australian critics were mixed, with David Stratton in The Australian writing it was not the hoped-for masterpiece while Jim Schembri in The Sydney Morning Herald said it was good but not destined to be a classic — and way too long.
Australian filmmakers hope the movie will revive interest in an industry that did well with quirky films like “Crocodile Dundee,” “Muriel’s Wedding” and “Babe” but has slipped in popularity after a few years of bleak, box-office failures.
The tourism industry has linked a A$50 million (US$32 million) international tourism campaign to the movie to try to make Australia a coveted destination in tough financial times.
Kidman, 41, who worked with Luhrmann on his last and third movie “Moulin Rouge” in 2001, said making “Australia” was a “once in a lifetime thing” for her.
“Rarely do you get a make a film that you have dreamed of doing since you were little, which will be part of Australian cinema,” said Kidman. “This is a celebration for me and hopefully for this country.”
The movie also focuses on “the stolen generation,” when tens of thousands of Aboriginal children were taken away from their families between the 1880s and 1960s to be raised by whites.
Tokyo tops star count again in Michelin food guide
The recession period doesnt account for Tokyo.This place is the palace of food.you will be getting all kinds of food here.
Tokyo is once again the world’s starriest city, according to the Michelin restaurant guide, which predicts that even an economic recession won’t dim the allure of good, if pricey, food.
A year after unveiling its first-ever Asian edition in the Japanese capital, Michelin awarded more stars to Tokyo than any other city, with nine restaurants given the coveted three-star rating, one more than last year.
In the new 2009 edition, 36 establishments received two stars, while 128 restaurants were awarded one. The 2008 edition also awarded Tokyo more stars than any other city.
“Tokyo’s food scene is dynamic, diverse, rich and full of excitement,” Jean-Luc Naret, director of the Michelin guides.
“It places importance on tradition and uses world-class cooking techniques to bring the best out of fine ingredients.”
Ishikawa, a 16-seat Japanese restaurant in the geisha district of Kagurazaka, joined the group of three-star establishments this year, a list that included six serving Japanese cuisine and three serving French.
Chef Hideki Ishikawa appeared humbled by the recognition.
“I am happy, but I’m not sure what to say. It hasn’t sunk in yet,” he told reporters at a reception for the city’s three-star chefs.
“I just said ‘Yes, thank you’,” he said of his reaction after receiving the call from Michelin.
Being awarded a star in a city with 160,000 restaurants can mean massive business and publicity for the chef, although several on the list last year are reported to have shut down.
Naret said more restaurants could become vulnerable to Japan’s economic recession, with banks in New York cited as cancelling private functions. Small restaurants may need to review prices.
But diners would still be expected to pick up the guide, which dates back to 1900 and was first aimed at chauffeurs in the early days of motoring.
“Because of the recession, people are going to be more careful about choosing where to eat,” he said.
Naret said he was aware of last year’s criticism from Japanese customers, who complained that the review process was opaque and leaned toward European tastes.
While two of last year’s five undercover inspectors were Japanese, this year’s inspection team consisted of five Japanese and one French national.
Indian ocean to compose music for Aamir Khan next film
Popular band Indian Ocean, which changed the course of contemporary fusion music in India with its album ‘Kandisa’, has been experimenting with Bollywood music and its latest project is in a film being produced by Aamir Khan.
‘We are composing three songs for a film which is being directed by a newcomer called Anusha and will be produced by Aamir Khan,’ Amit Kilam, the group’s drummer, told IANS.
After receiving rave reviews for its unique style of music, Indian Ocean entered Bollywood with Anurag Kashyap’s controversial film ‘Black Friday’.
Even though the music was completely out of the league and unusual, it was highly appreciated, especially the song ‘Bande’.
The group is also composing music for ‘Mumbai Cutting’ and ‘Bhoomi’.
”Mumbai Cutting’ is a compilation of 12 short films on Mumbai and we have done one song for Anurag Kashyap’s short film,’ Kilam said.
‘We are also composing music for a new film ‘Bhoomi’ currently under production. We are supposed to compose six songs for the film,’ he added.
Rahul Ram anchors Indian Ocean along with Sushmit Sen on the guitars. While Asheem Chakraborty plays the tabla, the versatile Kilam accompanies on the drums and many other forms of percussion as well as vocals.
Kilam said it was a good time to create music in Bollywood as it was going through a transitional phase and becoming more open to unconventional tunes.
‘Bollywood is opening doors and using different sorts of music a lot more than before,’ he said.
‘Since the reach of the industry is tremendous, when Hindi films use composers like us or other young bands and young singers, then the kind of music we create has a bigger chance to reach out to more people,’ Kilam added.
The band was in the capital to perform at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT).
Indian Ocean’s genesis dates back to 1990 when it came out with its first album. In 18 years, it has brought out four albums – ‘Indian Ocean’, ‘Desert Rain’, ‘Kandisa’ and ‘Jhini’.
The band has also performed in London, at the New Zealand Arts Festival, Melbourne Arts Festival, Smithsonian Folk Life Festival (Washington), Tokyo, Indonesia, Germany, Singapore, Italy and Dubai.
‘We don’t feel a lot of difference when we perform in India and when we perform abroad. It’s only that the audience size is a little smaller in the west because everything is organised to accommodate a set number of people. In India the number is much more,’ Kilam said.
Indian Ocean is known for their amalgamation of rural, urban, world and classical music.
Mandira Bedi’s new look in MEERABAI
The XXXtra Innings girl was here and she connected with her fans on an exclusive online chat. She spoke about cricket, Kumble, her killer figure and of course her forthcoming film Meerabai Not Out.
When appreciated about the movie she said please watch the movie if u like the promo.
Asked about why she is not into cricket nowa days she said’the offers i’ve got on cricket have not been the right platform. when i do come back on cricket it will be with a BANG! Currently cricket and mandira meet in Meerabai Not Out’.
She represent what most of india is… a cricket fan! she is a school teacher who loves her job, loves her family but most of all loves cricket! it is a story of passion vs priority.
She said banners lik Yash Raj dont know what to do with me soon after Meerabai they will..
Punter says Gavaskar was no angel
Ricky Ponting has lashed out at legendary Indian Sunil Gavaskar and other former players for
often blaming the Australian team for on-field confrontations, saying the Indian opener was not an angel during his playing days.”I know that over the past 10 years, probably longer, a notion has developed that the Australian team walks out onto the field intent on getting in faces and having a few words… Unfortunately, as soon as a spectator or a commentator spots one of my team chipping on opponent, they assume it is a pre-meditated attack,” Ponting said.
“The most laughable aspect is when I hear former players complaining, as though they never put a toe out of line in their day.”I still have a vivid image of Sunil Gavaskar angrily trying to take his opening partner off the MCG with him in 1981 when he was given out lbw in a Test match, but to hear him today, you’d think he was positively angelic when he was the best opening batsman in the world,” he wrote in his
‘Captain’s Diary 2008′.Ponting said he was disappointed by the hypocrisy of former cricketers who never kept the standards in their hey-days but were demanding the same from his team. ”In the four or five days after the Sydney Test… inevitably, some ex-players — mostly the usual suspects — were into us, and I found their hypocrisy extremely disappointing. They were demanding standards from us that they had never kept themselves when they were Test stars.
“The classic came when Tony Grieg suggested that the batsmen of today should be walking to make it easier for the umpires. This was coming from a bloke who in his day made a virtue out of not walking.
“I always presumed that ex-players are employed by media outlets because their experience gives them a rare insight into the pressure elite cricketers are under and the way we think, but it seems to me that many of them forget about their past lives the minute they are handed a press pass.
Ponting also took a dig at just retired Indian captain Anil Kumble, saying his comment ‘only one team was playing within the spirit of the game’ after the Sydney Test was borrowed from a former Australian skipper Bill Woodfull. “I’m not sure how extensive Anil’s knowledge of cricket history is, but — as was picked up immediately by reporters — his comments echoed those made by Australian captain Bill Woodfull during the acrimonious bodyline series of 1932-33. ”‘There are two teams out there, one is trying to play cricket and the other is not’, Woodfull had said to English managers during the third Test of that series,” he said.
Jayalalitha slamps karunanidhi
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief Jayalalitha today issued a legal notice to Chief Minister Karunanidhi, after the later held the AIADMK and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) responsible for brutal violence at the Chennai College.
On Monday, Jayalalitha had threatened to file a defamation suit against Chief Minister Karunanidhi after the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) accused her party of instigating the violence. Jayalalithaa has accused Karunanidhi of indulging in mud-slinging and said he was unfit to work in the post of a Chief Minister.
“A judicial inquiry has been ordered into the November 12 incident. So will Karunanidhi’s comments not influence the Inquiry Commission to give a report, which reflected his opinion?” she said in a statement on Monday.
Jayalalitha has clearly said that if Karunanidhi does not apologise through the media within twenty-four hours of this notice, she will sue him for damages.
Earlier on Sunday, Karunanidhi had accused the AIADMK of instigating the campus brutality at Chennai’s Ambedkar law college.
“It appears as if the opposition has incited the students to indulge in violence so as to seek my resignation. Had the police entered the campus, the headlines in the papers would have been different against police,” Chief Minister Karunanidhi said.
However, Karunanidhi had later clarified that he had made that comment in jest.
Villu shaping well says Vijay
Vijay’s Villu directed by Prabhu Deva should be ready for release even before Pongal. As per the latest buzz, the film is loosely based on Soldier, a Hindi flick released in 1998 starring Preity Zinta and Bobby Deol. Vijay is said to don a double role – dad and son and the latter is out to prove and establish that his dad was loyal to the country and was never treacherous as purported by the enemy camp. He is basically working towards clearing a tarnished image of his dad.
Actress Ranjitha, director Bharathiraja’s find who had retired from filmdom after her marriage will be donning the role of Vijay’s mom i.e. the wife of dad Vijay. She is said to be appearing in flashback sequences and her role is said to be very significant. Though the actress was not too keen to appear in silver screen again, it was said that she heeded to director Prabhu Deva’s request after listening to the scri
Harris about the rift between Gautham
The combination which dominated kollywood for the past 5 years has been broken. While many were trying to speculate the reason behind this, Harris has made an elaborate statement to the press on what drove him to this extreme measure.
The rift was actually due to,
two started during the composition of the song Adiye kolludhe. And it started to widen when Gautham did not consult him on certain important issues regarding Vaaranam Aayiram. He rued that Gautham was not present during the music compositions and conveyed all that he wanted through a messenger. Harris also ruled out any patch up in future. It may be recalled that Hariis Jayaraj and Gautham worked together to produce a number of chartbusters in the past.
Marma Yogi not abandoned
Marma Yogi plans are on hold temporarily and Saimira will resume the project once the turbulent world economy has settled. “We have no intentions to abandon the project,” he assured.Putting the ever-churning rumor mills to rest, production company Pyramid Saimira convened a press meet at the Devi Sridevi preview theater in Chennai today to throw light on Marma Yogi. Swaminathan, who heads the operations of the Pyramid Saimira, spoke to the press.He clarified Pyramid Saimira’s stand on the issue and refuted rumors that the company is going through a finance crunch that is gripping the global economy. “Saimira’s finances are healthy and the company is well insulated against the crisis. We have steady finance flow to be able to fund a 150 crore project,” he noted.
Super star Rajini hurt
Super star got hurt by the resignation of Sathya narayana.The issue on whether the Superstar will take a plunge into politics is still unsettled and here comes another matter for discussion. It has been widely reported in the media that the President of his fan club, Shri Sathyanarayana, has resigned from his post owing to reasons unknown. Sathyanarayana has been associated with Rajinikanth for a long time and
alleged resignation has caused ripples in the industry.
When asked about this to Sathyanarayana, he rubbished the news as baseless rumor which has been triggered by a few malicious elements. He added, “I am totally shocked by this news. I have not been keeping well for some time and have taken a week’s off. In lieu of my leave, Mr. Sudhakar was handling the calls in my absence. This has been manipulated as my resignation”. Lamenting on such a vile tale Sathyanarayana said that Superstar himself had expressed his anguish over this. He also stated that media has been very unfair and has not checked with him for clarification before going to the press.
A.R to compose music for Champions league and Common wealth
A.R. Rahman will wield the music baton for composing the theme anthem of Champions League Twenty 20. It is to be noted that there will be no lyrics in the anthem and the ace music director will capture the emotions of cricket solely through his music.
At a time when expectations are rife over his composition, yet another news pours in that Rahman has been signed up to compose the anthem of the Commonwealth Games that is to be held in New Delhi in the year 2010. Well, this is good news indeed for the musician’s fans! Meanwhile, sources close to the director say that Rahman will take a short sabbatical where films and English dramas are concerned.
Maruthi A-star
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Somali pirates transform villages into boomtowns
Pirates Of Somali
Somalian pirates are turning to be the most intelligent because they enjoy their lives in luxury not only the pirates but all the people who support them.In Haradhere, residents came out in droves and were celebrating as the looming oil ship came into focus this week off the country’s lawless coast. Businessmen started gathering cigarettes, food and cold glass bottles of orange soda, setting up small kiosks for the pirates who come to shore to re-supply almost daily.
Somalia’s increasingly brazen pirates are building sprawling stone houses, cruising in luxury cars, marrying beautiful women even hiring caterers to prepare Western-style food for their hostages and in an impoverished country where every public institution has crumbled, they have become heroes in the steamy coastal dens they operate from because they are the only real business in town.”The pirates depend on us, and we benefit from them,” said Sahra Sheik Dahir, a shop owner in Haradhere, the nearest village to where a hijacked Saudi Arabian supertanker carrying USD 100 million in crude was anchored on Wednesday.
These boomtowns are all the more shocking in light of Somalia’s violence and poverty. Radical Islamists control most of the country’s south, meting out lashings and stonings for accused criminals. There has been no effective central government in nearly 20 years, plunging this arid African country into chaos.
Life expectancy is just 46 years; a quarter of children die before they reach 5. But in northern coastal towns like Haradhere, Eyl and Bossaso, the pirate economy is thriving thanks to the money pouring in from pirate ransoms that have reached USD 30 million this year alone.
In Haradhere, residents came out in droves to celebrate as the looming oil ship came into focus this week off the country’s lawless coast. Businessmen started gathering cigarettes, food and cold glass bottles of orange soda, setting up small kiosks for the pirates who come to shore to re-supply almost daily.
Indian Navy blows up Pirate boat
A Indian war ship blew up a pirate ship in the Gulf of Aden and gunmen from Somalia seized two more vessels, defying the foreign warships patrolling the seas off their anarchic country. Buccaneers have taken a Thai fishing boat, a Greek bulk carrier and a Hong Kong-flagged ship heading for Iran since Saturday’s spectacular capture of a Saudi supertanker carrying $100 million of oil, the biggest ship hijacking in history.
The supertanker Sirius Star was seized despite an existing effort to guard one of the world’s busiest shipping arteries by naval ships from the United States, France, Russia and India.
“The pirates are sending out a message to the world that ‘we can do what we want, we can think the unthinkable, do the unexpected’,” Andrew Mwangura, coordinator of the East African Seafarers’ Assistance Program, told Reuters in Mombasa.
India’s navy said one of its warships destroyed a pirate ship in the Gulf of Aden in a brief battle late on Tuesday.The pirates are armed with grenades, heavy machineguns and rocket-launchers, and foreign navies have usually steered clear of direct confrontation once ships have been hijacked, for fear of putting hostages at risk. In most cases, the owners of hijacked ships are trying to negotiate ransoms.
Microsoft rules over the Yahoo bid
Microsoft has ruled out the bod from Yahoo but said it was intrested to have a tie up with search related products.Ballmer’s comments to a meeting of Microsoft’s shareholders were the first from the company since the announcement on Monday that Jerry Yang was stepping down as Yahoo CEO. That move was seen as raising the chances for a Microsoft buyout since Yang had been the company’s staunchest opponent of the deal that valued Yahoo at $47.5 billion – more than three times what it is now worth.The comments by the Microsoft boss sent Yahoo’s shares plunging by as much as 20 per cent after they had rallied on news of Yang’s move.
“We thought we had something that made sense. But it didn’t make sense to them. We’ve moved on,” said Ballmer at Microsoft’s annual shareholders meeting. “Let me be clear. We are done with all acquisition discussions with Yahoo.”However he stressed that a partnership between Microsoft and Yahoo in the internet search market is “an interesting possibility”. Such an alliance would help the companies challenge Google, which dominates the US online advertising market that is expected to grow 25 per cent this year.
Yahoo’s five biggest mistakes
Exerts say these things as Yahoo’s five mistakes
1. Aborted Projects
Yahoo! is rife with projects that have been started, with great fanfare, only to die quietly months, sometimes years, later.
2. Missing the Google Express
Yahoo! had the chance to buy Google in 2002. Then-Chief Executive Terry Semel reportedly balked at the $5 billion price after months of negotiation. In retrospect, that was clearly a mistake.
No Yahoo! employees would touch that one. “I have no idea,” one employee said.
“I need to go off to a meeting now,” another answered.
3. Hiring Terry Semel
Another commonly cited mistake: hiring former Warner Bros. studio honcho Terry Semel as chief executive. Yahoo! stumbled in the wake of the tech bust early in the decade. It brought in Semel to turn things around. In retrospect, however, Semel was just riding a powerful rebound that other managers, such as the boys at Google, were playing far more skillfully. Semel declined to buy Google; at the same time, he funded a push into media that has largely foundered.
“You should really talk to a press spokesperson about that,” one employee said.
4. Failing to Click With DoubleClick
Another deal Yahoo! missed out on was DoubleClick. The advertising network specialized in the display ads that had long been Yahoo!’s strength as it struggled to hold back a surging Google. But when Yahoo! didn’t move quick enough to purchase the ad network, Google pounced, helping to close the gap.
“I don’t know, I’m not in a position to really speculate,” one employee said as he clutched a pair of boxes and a cup of juice.
5. Not Bonding With Ballmer
Perhaps Yahoo!’s biggest bonehead maneuver was failing to deal with Microsoft’s acquisition offer quickly and cleanly. As a result, the drama dragged on for months, sapping Yahoo!’s energy and opening the door to Carl Icahn, the aggressive corporate raider who grabbed three seats on Yahoo!’s board in August. The move undoubtedly led to Yang’s ouster this week.
“It’s difficult to know, difficult to know,” a Yahoo employee said when asked about the matter.
All these mistakes can be summed up in one word: indecisiveness. One employee, at least, wasn’t shy about blaming management for the problem. “When you hear the culture is indecisive, that’s referring to people who are higher up,” one employee said. “Many of the employees are making great efforts to turn the tide.”
Other employees blamed bigger problems for Yahoo!’s woes. Some cited vague “macroeconomic” problems. Others cited competition from newer, “cooler,” Web brands such as MySpace and Google.
And several argued that Yahoo! can still compete. One mentioned Yahoo!’s cloud computing initiative as an effort that could help the company claw its way forward once again. “It’s a talented group of individuals, and we’re working on some interesting technologies,” he said.
“We are competitive, particularly with Yahoo! Mail and Finance,” another added.
And, unlike banks and domestic auto manufacturers, no one at Yahoo! is asking for a government bailout. “I don’t think anyone in this industry is going to pop that question,” one engineer said, shaking his head. “If you do, you’re admitting you’ve got nothing left, no future.”
God bless Silicon Valley.
Hollywood’s top earning couples
What happens when you marry an $82 million hip-hop brand and an $80 million R&B empire? You get Hollywood’s best-paid power couple.
Thanks to a monster year filled with music, movies, fashion and endorsement deals, Jay-Z and his new bride, Beyoncé Knowles, collectively raked in $162 million between June 1, 2007 and June 1, 2008. The jaw-dropping sum garners them bragging rights atop our first annual ranking of Hollywood’s Top-Earning Couples, a list that also includes A-list pairings Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, David and Victoria Beckam,Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, among others.
“Naturally, powerful people tend to gravitate toward other powerful people,” explains clinical psychologist and celebrity researcher Jim Houran, for reasons that range from proximity (stars hang around other stars) to familiarity (people are attracted, at least initially, to others like them) to clearer expectations (shared priorities make it easier for celebrities to relate). No matter how they get together, the results are good for the bottom line.
Take Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. They hauled in some $85 million over the past year, making them No. 2 on our list. Though Jada’s resume continues to grow, Will’s the family breadwinner. He raked in $80 million in the year ending June 2008, thanks to another set of top-performing blockbusters: I Am Legend, The Pursuit of Happyness and this past summer’s Hancock. Together the flicks banked $1.2 billion at the worldwide box office, making him Hollywood’s most bankable star.
Jada pulled in $5 million during the same 12-month period, thanks to roles as an actress (The Women), producer (The Human Contract) and businesswoman (a stake in beauty line Carol’s Daughter).
The next comes David and Victoria Beckham. Conquering fans on both sides of the Atlantic, the power couple brought in $58 million over the year-long period.
Becks’ share was $50 million, proving the much-covered move to America has paid off for the British soccer star. Though his Los Angeles Galaxy salary was $5.5 million, the sum more than doubled when his cut of the team’s ticket, merchandise and sponsorship revenues were factored in. He also pulled down a cool $35 million from lucrative endorsement deals with Motorola , Coty and Pepsi Co.
Vikram n MANI Ratnam
Though Vikram had been in the film industry for long, he carved a niche for himself after starring in offbeat films like Sethu and Kasi. In fact, Kasi, the film in which he played the role of a blind man, remains one of his best performances. Vikram has time and again openly stated that he preferred to act in a role similar to that of Kasi but due to his current stature in Kollywood he had to move on to more commercial roles. The actor is now busy with Kanthaswamy and Mani Ratnam’s project. Meanwhile, there is a buzz in the industry that Vikram is keen on doing a deaf and dumb role and has been listening to such scripts. Also, the actor is now researching on the mannerisms of the deaf and dumb people, our source say. It may be recalled that he excelled in his performance as a blind man in Kasi by doing a thorough research on the mannerisms of the blind.
Harry Potter to be released on Dec. 4
J.K. Rowling, the creator of the famous boy wizard, is now ready with 
— a prequel to the series. It is set to be released worldwide on December 4.
Gavaskar writhes as Pointing writes
Sunil Gavaskar has dimissed Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting’s outburst against him as an attempt by the Aussie skipper to divert attention from their performance in the recently concluded Test series in India.
“Ponting and Cricket Australia were still in denial of their on-field behaviour,” Gavaskar .The former India captain said Ponting was seven years old when the MCG incident happened and that he did not know the background of the incident.
Ponting had lashed out at Gavaskar in his Captain’s Diary 2008.
“I still have a vivid image of Sunil Gavaskar angrily trying to take his opening partner off the MCG with him in 1981 when he was given out lbw in a Test match, but to hear him today you’d think he was positively angelic when he was the best opening batsman in the world,” he wrote.
Ponting said he was disappointed by the hypocrisy of former cricketers who never kept the standards in their hey-days but were demanding the same from his team.
Ponting also took a dig at former Indian captain Anil Kumble, saying his comment ‘only one team was playing within the spirit of the game’ after the Sydney Test was borrowed from a former Australian skipper Bill Woodful.
Oil drops $49 a barrel
Asian stock markets dropped to a five-year low on Friday, tracking US stocks that hit their lowest in a decade the previous session as the fate of the country’s major car makers continued to hang in the balance.
Oil tumbled to a three-and-a-half year low below $49 a barrel on Friday, nearing a $100 drop from its July record high, as more distress for the global economy threatened to eat further into demand for fuels.
“The economy is pulling everything down like a black hole,” said Anthony Nunan, risk management executive at Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Corp. “Until the economy stabilises, it will be hard for oil to put in a bottom.”US light crude for January delivery fell $1.02 to $48.40 a barrel at 0209 GMT, its sixth straight session of falls and a 14 per cent drop for this week alone, heading for the largest weekly fall since early October. London Brent crude shed 68 cents to $47.40 a barrel.
Oil has lost two thirds of its value in just under four months since peaking above $147 in July, and is just above the lowest since May 2005 hit on Thursday.Reflecting the sharp reversal in oil’s fortunes, Goldman Sachs, which in May had been talking of a $200 a barrel superspike, on Thursday again cut its 2009 forecast for US crude oil to $80 a barrel from $86.As demand tumbles, oil companies plan to store millions of barrels of crude in the hope economics will improve. Shipping brokers said US oil trader Koch and Royal Dutch Shell had booked supertankers capable of storing 10 million barrels of crude, more than top exporter Saudi Arabia produces in a day.
The further falls in oil prices brought more Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries members out in support of further output cuts. Libya’s top oil official said the cartel may decide to reduce supply further at its informal meeting in Cairo next week if it finds members have implemented a previous decision to lower output.The comments followed remarks from other OPEC members, including Kuwait, Iran and Venezuela, raising the possibility of a further cut in supply to prop up oil prices.
OPEC agreed in October to cut output by 1.5 million barrels per day, about 5 per cent, from Nov. 1, but the move has failed to stem the decline in oil prices.
Volkswagen wins d green car of the year
Volkswagen AG’s Jetta TDI, won the “Green Car of the Year” award at the Los Angeles auto show on Thursday, the first time a diesel-powered car has taken the industry’s top environmental honor.”This signals that clean diesel has arrived,” said Ron Cogan, editor of Green Car Journal, the trade magazine that awards the prize.Diesel, however, costs almost $1 more per gallon than gasoline in some parts of the United States.Diesel, a conventional combustion approach long favored by Europeans, has been making inroads into the U.S. market as a here-and-now option to make engines run more economically and pollute less.
The use of diesel for passenger cars had long been stalled in the United States because of unacceptably high tailpipe emissions, but advanced technology has allowed so-called clean diesel vehicles to filter out more pollutants and for the first time meet smog pollution laws in all states.
Diesel engines have also suffered an image problem in the U.S. market due to an association with the underpowered versions sold in the 1970s. The technology has been largely limited to large trucks in the United States, even though it is a perennial top seller among passenger cars in Europe.
Volkswagen’s U.S. chief, Stefan Jacoby, said diesels have emerged as an alternative to hybrids such as Toyota Motor Corp’s popular Prius.
“It’s a breakthrough in this country,” Jacoby said. “I don’t want to say it’s better than other technologies, but it’s a real alternative to hybrids. It brings fuel consumption down, it’s environmentally friendly, and — this is a difference with a Prius — this is really fun to drive.”
Volkswagen’s five-passenger Jetta TDI, which boasts a fuel efficiency of 41 miles per gallon, starts at $21,990, compared with $17,340 for a traditional Jetta.
The Jetta TDI beat out finalists including BMW’s 335d diesel sport sedan, Ford Motor Co’s Fusion Hybrid passenger sedan, General Motors Corp’s crossover Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid, and the smart fortwo mini car.
“This is the vehicle that stood out among all of the five finalists as the one that really exhibited the greatest environmental achievement,” Cogan said. “You get 30 percent better fuel efficiency, on average, with a diesel, and a commensurate reduction in greenhouse gases.”So far the Jetta TDI, which went on sale in August, has sold out, said Jacoby. “The Jetta TDI and Sportswagen don’t see recession,” he said.Jacoby said diesels could represent up to 30 percent of sales for Volkswagen models like the Jetta, on which diesel is an option. That would mean a sales target of 30,000 to 35,000 Jetta TDI per year in the United States.The panel of judges that awarded the “Green Car of the Year” prize included famed car designer Carroll Shelby, late-night talk show host Jay Leno and representatives from environmental groups the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council, among others.
Richest Persons in India
Though the world is suffering from recession these rich people seem to be richer with Mukesh Ambani topping the list.here are some of the richest persons released by fobes magazine….
Ghajini songs Download
Download Ghajini songs for free in all formats ….The film is Directed by Muragadoss….with Aamir kahn in the lead and Asin with Jiah khan.Enjoy the music and have fun…
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Yuvraaj review
Yuvraaj is a musical that revolves around a family based in Europe with Salman and Katrina in the lead roles.
Salmaan and Katrina are back to sizzle the screen. Subhash Gai’s YUVRAAJ have Salman and Katrina in a rare role that never happened on screen before.”The Salman Katrina magic is all set to cast its spell on the audience,” said a source close to the couple. David Dhawan was the first to pair Salman and Katrina together. MAINE PYAR KYUN KIYA rocked the boxoffice. Sallu and Kat’s ‘Just Chill’ number turned a rage.PARTNER created history even though Salman and Kats were not paired together in the film.
Subhash Ghai, whose YUVVRAAJ is expected to hit the theatres soon, felt that Salman and Katrina as a pair rock. “They are lucky for each other,” the source said. “For Ghai it is the first time they are paired opposite each other and the chemistry between the two is super sizzling. They look so good together.
Viswanathan Anand in Chennai
Viswanathan Anand’s victorious return to his hometown was almost an exercise in vain for the association that organised his welcome at the airport late on Thursday night.
The chess champion, who emerged from the arrival lounge to a rousing salute stirred up by a local school band, appeared to be caught on ‘Ground Zero’ of a crowd explosion and was soon drowned in hordes of hangers-on wanting to catch a glimpse of him.
“I still have not shaken hands with Anand because there were so many people surrounding him,” said Tamil Nadu State Chess Association general secretary K. Muralimohan.
Massive turnout
Denied access to Vishy by the swarms of media and security personnel that trapped him in an impenetrable cordon seconds after his arrival, Mr. Muralimohan said he had not anticipated such a large turnout considering the late hour of the flight.
“I don’t think there was any mismanagement, but this kind of reception is unprecedented,” he added.
Appearing a shade wary of the persistent jostling and several cameras that were thrust unceremoniously in his face, Anand said he was “more relieved than happy”, before the police managed to whisk him away from the prying gaze of lens and man.
India’s first International Master, Manuel Aaron, who was unable to sight Anand even momentarily, said his airport visit had been “worth nothing”.
“I couldn’t even spot him once and I certainly did not want to make my way into the crowd.
“It would be a better idea to organise a welcome party at a hotel instead of the airport where things can take a messy turn,” Aaron said.
Earlier, the scene, by and large, resembled a quasi-social occasion.
Festive atmosphere
Sweets exchanged hands, as did banners and bottles of beverage, as hundreds of students braved humidity and hunger and waited for their hero to come out.
“We were here by 10 p.m. to rehearse. It’s all right, we don’t mind doing it because Anand deserves all the accolades for his achievement,” said a cymbals-brandishing member of the Velammal High School band.
While sizable numbers indicated a rapidly growing popularity of the sport, the query of an excitable, cheering group of young men to a TV crew engaged in interviewing Aruna Anand imbued the proceedings with an alternative perspective.
“Excuse me,” asked one of the group, “but what is the name of the movie star who is being mobbed.”
India Inc shifts to selective recruitment
Selective hiring and moderation of unreasonable expectations in the salary is the new mantra among HR professionals. Companies such as Tata Capital and Hinduja Group have reworked their hiring plans.Tata Capital Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, which recently hired Harshawardhan Sabale as Co-head for its PE Growth Fund has restructured its hiring plans and is now hiring currently for critical positions.
Amar Sinhji, head (human resources), Tata Capital Ltd told FE, “Right now we are not doing mass hiring but are looking at filling critical positions only. But will also be hiring about 30-40 graduates at the junior level and post graduates from premier management institutes as well.”
Similarly, Hinduja Group continues to hire for its new initiatives but becomes selective. Also there has been no revision or cut in the compensation however the unreasonable hike of 50%-80% has now been moderated,” said Sudhanshu Tripathi, group president, Hinduja Group.
Experts believe that salaries are now rationalised and justified compared to the extraordinary increase earlier. Salary of a CEO in the financial service sector is the highest and ranges anywhere between Rs 1.5 – 3 crore. A CEO in IT, telecom and insurance draws anywhere is between Rs 1-2 crore. In the media and entertainment the salary is between Rs 1.5 to 2.75 crore and in the pharma sector it is in the range of Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore. However, the manufacturing sector is the lowest payer with the CEO’s salary in this sector ranging from Rs 40-80 lakh only. In the retail sector CEO of Indian retail company gets paid in the range of Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1.2 crore and an MNC retail company CEO gets paid up Rs 2 crore, say experts.
Champions league twenty20 2008 Schedule
FIXTURES
Wed 3
16:00 local, 10:30 GMT Group A – Middlesex v Victoria
Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai
Wed 3
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT Group B – Dolphins v Rajasthan Royals
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Thu 4
16:00 local, 10:30 GMT Group B – Sialkot Stallions v Western Australia
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Thu 4
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT Group A – Chennai Super Kings v Victoria
Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai
Fri 5
16:00 local, 10:30 GMT Group A – Middlesex v Titans
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Fri 5
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT Group B – Rajasthan Royals v Sialkot Stallions
Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai
Sat 6
12:00 local, 06:30 GMT Group B – Dolphins v Western Australia
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Sat 6
16:00 local, 10:30 GMT Group A – Titans v Victoria
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Sat 6
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT Group A – Chennai Super Kings v Middlesex
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Sun 7
12:00 local, 06:30 GMT Group B – Dolphins v Sialkot Stallions
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Sun 7
16:00 local, 10:30 GMT Group B – Rajasthan Royals v Western Australia
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Sun 7
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT Group A – Chennai Super Kings v Titans
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Mon 8
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT 1st Semi-Final – TBC v TBC
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Group B winners v Group A runners-up
Tue 9
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT 2nd Semi-Final – TBC v TBC
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Group A winners v Group B runners-up
Wed 10
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT Final – TBC v TBC
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Squad details
Clinton accepts Obama’s offer
Hillary Clinton has decided to accept the post of Secretary of State in the incoming Obama administration, a media report said today, raising prospects of former Democratic rivals joining hands to guide the US foreign policy amid steep challenges at home and abroad.
Clinton came to her decision after additional discussions with President-elect Barack Obama about the nature of her role and his plans for foreign policy, one of her confidants was quoted as saying by ‘New York Times’.
The former first lady, who was defeated by Obama for the Democratic Presidential nomination in a neck-and-neck battle, has decided to give up her Senate seat and accept the powerful post of Secretary of State, the report said.
However, her spokesman, Philippe Reines, issued a statement yesterday cautioning that the nomination was not final. “We’re still in discussions, which are very much on track,” Reines said. “Any reports beyond that are premature” Obama’s office also told reporters earlier that the nomination is “on track”, but this is the first word from the Clinton camp that she has decided, the paper noted.
“She’s ready,” the confidant told the paper, adding that Clinton was reassured after talking again with Obama because their first meeting in Chicago last week “was so general.”
The purpose of the follow-up talk, he said, was not to extract particular concessions but “just getting comfortable” with the idea of working together. A second Clinton associate, the Times said, confirmed that her camp believes they have a done deal.
Senior Obama advisers told the paper that the offer had not been formally accepted and no announcement would be made until after the US Thanksgiving Day which is on November 27. But they said they were convinced that the nascent alliance was ready to be sealed.
Obama has stepped up efforts to assemble his future team as he geared up to tackle challenges like the worsening domestic economy and its global impact as well as the ongoing US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The decision to offer the second most powerful job in the administration to the 61-year-old Hillary Clinton followed days of intense vetting and negotiations intended to clear any potential obstacles to her taking the job due to her husband Bill Clinton’s global business and philanthropic activities.
Lawyers for Obama and former President Bill Clinton combed through his finances and drew up a set of guidelines for his future activities intended to avoid any appearances of conflict of interest should she take the job, the Times said.
Citing people close to the vetting, the paper said Bill Clinton turned over the names of 208,000 donors to his foundation and library and agreed to all of the conditions requested by Obama’s transition team, including restrictions on his future paid speeches and role at his international foundation.
Driving Hillary Clinton’s deliberations in part, friends told the paper, was a sense of disenchantment with the Senate, where despite her stature she remained low in the ranks of seniority that governs the body.
She was particularly upset, they said, at the reception she felt she received when she returned from the campaign trail and sought a more significant leadership role in the expanding Democratic majority.
Pontings praise for pace spearhead Ishant
Ponting in his Captains diary has written his team could have won the crucial third test at perth but for an awesome spell by Indian pacer Ishant Sharma.The young lad playing his fourth test,had bowled an awesome spell to me:seven overs when he was fast,aggressive and relentless,where I never felt as if I was truly ‘in’.
Vaaranam aayiram movie download dvd rip
Varanam Aayiram starring Surya,Simran,Sameera reddy,Priya.This movie is another creation of Gautham and Harris Jeyaraj.The music scores great and the film is about the relationship between the father and the son……….
Airman’s wife raped at Army Hospital near Chandigarh
An airman’s wife was raped at the Command Hospital Chandimandir Cantonment of Army’s Western Command near Chandigarh on Friday.
A case was registered on Saturday.
Panchkula Suprintendent of Police Sandeep Khirwar confirmed that a criminal case has been registered.
“Criminal case under Sections 376, 506, 294, 354 of IPC has been registered against the accused. She has been medically examined. But no one has been named so far. Army has given positive response and helped with investigation,” Sandeep Khirwar said.”Preliminary tests have been done and the tests by forensic labs are still to come in,” he added.The victim, who had gone for physiotherapy, was allegedly dragged to an empty room near the Neurological Ward and raped by the duo.The lady reportedly told police that a third person was filming the entire incident. After raping the woman, all the three threatened her and asked her not to disclose the incident else they would circulate the video clip.Police sources, however, say that they have not arrested the accused as all are from the armed forced and police will have to liaison with the defence authorities.Army officials have extended support to the police saying they will cooperate in the investigations.The medical examination of the victim has been done and the report is awaited.
India aims for manned Space Mission
India is aiming to send a manned mission into the space after the success of its first unmanned mission to the moon, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairmain G. Madhavan Nair said on Sunday.
“The (manned) moon mission is a tough task and to achieve that our first task is to send an Indian astronaut on a manned mission to space, who will orbit the earth and return. For this, the sanction of the government has to come. We plan to achieve this by 2015,” Nair said at a reception accorded to him during his first visit to his home town since the successful launch of the Chandrayaan-1.
“The next moon mission by the US and China is fixed for 2020 and our target is that we also should be ready by then,” Nair added.”To achieve that, the space mission would provide the necessary boost. Another thing that is being planned is Aditya, a mission to study the solar system from the earth’s orbit,” said Nair.
Manmohan upset with DMK ministers in UPA
The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government is not only under attack from the opposition but some of its ministers too are not enjoying the full faith of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Prime Minister is very upset with two Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(DMK) nominees – Minister of Communications and Information Technology A Raja and Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways TR Baalu.Raja has been nicknamed the spectrum scam man by the opposition while Baalu is facing flak for not doing enough to build more roads.But now the opposition’s charge has got more teeth.However, Raja says that there is no corruption in the allocation of spectrum.
Karuna defends Raja on spectrum allocation issue
“The entire allocation process is transparent. The Allocation caused no loss to exchequer and the entire process is in line with 2001 guidelines,” Raja claims.The sale of spectrum bands was meant to have generated a windfall for the government.However, from the Leader of Opposition to Prime Minister’s own new-found friends the Samajwadi Party; everyone is having a go at Raja.”A representative of the cartel met me and through me they wanted to meet Mulayam Singh (SP chief). They wanted to pay an obscene amount of money for our silence,” Amar Singh General Secretary said.
In times of global recession, the Prime Minister wants his key infrastructure related ministries to pull up their socks. But the state of affairs in Baalu’s Surface Transport Ministry is very bad.Manmohan Singh is upset with the National Highway Development Authority for having failed to make the desired level of progress. Even as public sector undertakings are willing to spend but the projects under the ministry are just not taking shape.There are many allegations of corruption against the minister including those of Baalu’s family benefiting from dredging contracts for Sethusamudram and the use of his office for gas allocations for his sons firm which have embarrassed the Prime Minister.
Sources also say that the Prime Minister is keen on going for elections earlier if the current round of Assembly elections throws up a favourable response.As a man who has made enormous capital out of his clean image, corruption amongst key ministries is something that he would want to address at the earliest.
Mumbai Bomb Blasts
Exchange of fire intensified at Nariman House, a residential complex with a Jewish prayer hall, where also a hostage situation was prevailing. There were unconfirmed reports of a similar situation in Cama hospital. Window panes on third and fifth floor shattered.
Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said the situation was “grave”. He remarked that the terrorists could have come by boats.
One terrorist holed up inside Nariman House in south Mumbai killed, says police. Six more ultras suspected to be inside the building.
Three hostages have been able to escape till now. Few people including some elderly people and children evacuated from the neighbouring building of Nariman House.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister R R Patil said nine suspected terrorists have been detained.
Five police officers, including Anti Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare, were killed in the terror strikes that in all claimed the lives of at least 11 police personnel.
The motive for the onslaught was not immediately clear, but Mumbai has frequently been targeted in terrorist attacks blamed on Islamic extremists, including a series of bombings in July 2007 that killed 187 people.
Media reports said a previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen had claimed responsibility for the attacks in e-mails to several media outlets.
Ghajini: Behka song lyrics
Behka Main Behka, Woh Behki Hawa Si Aaye
Ek Hi Nazar Me Sab, Manzil Wanzil Paaye
Hatke Alag Si Thi, Bilkul Juda Si
Na Hi Adaaye, Na Koi Aandaayee
Behka Behka Main Behka Behka
Mehka Mehka Yeh Mann Hai Mehka
Behka Min Behka, Woh Behki Hawa Si Aai
Ek Hi Nazar Mein Sab, Manzil Wanzil Paaye
Dhadkan Dhak Dhak Dhak Dhak Dhak Hue
Dil Tha Tha Tha Tha Tha Thayee
Chal Dagmag Mag Dagmag Mag Hue
Jhoomoo Main Jhamak Jhamajham
Rasta Takoon Takoon Takoon Takoon Takoon Main
Pal Pal Jagoon Jagoon Jagoon Jagoon Main
Baar Baar Badal Karwat, Usko Sochoon Main
Behka Behka Main Behka Behka
Mehka Mehka Yeh Maan Hai Mehka
Guzare Jahan Se Woh, Raunak Udaaye
Chhalke Nadi Si Woh, Mujhko Bhigoti Jaaye
Woh Gun Gunaaye, Nagine Lutaaye
Khatta Sa Bachpan, Meethi Shararat
Thoda Resham Hai, Thodi Nazakat
Kabhi Sharmaaye, Kabhi Lehraaye
Usme Saahil Hai Aur Jaane Kitni Gehrayee
Behka Main Behka, Woh Behki Hawa Si Aaye
Ek Hi Nazar Me Sab, Manzil Wanzil Paaye
Hatke Alag Si Thi, Bilkul Juda Si
Na Hi Adaaye, Na Koi Aandaayee
Behka Behka Main Behka Behka
Mehka Mehka Yeh Mann Hai Mehka
Uski Boli, Jaise Phoolon Ki doli
Uska Chalna, Rutuye Badalna
Jhoot Bhi Uske Sachche Lagey Achchhe Lagey
Sach Se Bhi Bade Lagey
Rahon Mein Uski, Haath Baandhe Palke
Bichaaye Hue Sar Ko Jhukaye Huey
Khusboowon Se Chaaye Hue
Tkataki Lagaye Hue Saath Saaath Jaane Kitne
Saare Mausam Khade Raahe
(Behka Main Behka, Woh Behki Hawa Si Aaye
Ek Hi Nazar Me Sab, Manzil Wanzil Paaye) – 2
Hatke Alag Si Thi, Bilkul Juda Si
Na Hi Adaaye, Na Koi Aandaayee
(Behka Main Haan Behka Behka Main
Behka Main Haan Behka Behka Behka Main) – 3
Haule Haule lyrics download
RAB NE BANA DI JODI Movie Songs Lyrics
Haule Haule Lyrics
Hindi Song Title: Haule Haule : RAB NE BANA DI JODI
Singer(s): SUKHVINDER SINGH
Cast(s): SHAHRUKH KHAN , ANUSHKA SHARMA , VINAY PATHAK
Haule Haule Haule Haule
Haule Haule Haule Haule
Haule Haule Se Hawa Lagti Hai
Haule Haule Se Dawa Lagti Hai
Haule Haule Se Dua Lagti Hai
Haule Haule Chanda Badhata Hai
Haule Haule Ghonghat Uthata Hai
Haule Haule Se Nasha Chadhta Hai
Tu Sabar Toh Kar Mere Yaar
Zara Saans To Le Dildaar
Chal Fikar Nu Goli Maar
Yaar Hai Dil Jindi De Chaar
Haule Haule Ho Jayega Pyaar Chal Yaar
Haule Haule Ho Jayega Pyaar -2
Haule Haule , Haule Haule , Haule Haule
Haule Haule Oiiiii
Haule Haule Haule Haule
Haule Haule Ho Jayega Pyaar Chal Yaar
Haule Haule Ho Jayega Pyaar
Pa Ni De, De Ga Pa Ma Ga Re
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Ishq Di Galiya Tang Hai
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Khud Se Khud Ki Kaisi Yeh Jang Hai
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Zara Saans To Le Dildaar
Chal Fikar Nu Goli Maar
Yaar Hai Dil Jindi De Chaar
Haule Haule Ho Jayega Pyaar Chal Yaar
Haule Haule Ho Jayega Pyaar -2
Haule Haule , Haule Haule , Haule Haule
Haule Haule Hai
Haule Haule Ho Jayega Pyaar Chal Yaar
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Rab Tha Ki Tab Koi Hona
Kare Koi Yo Jadoo Tona
Man Jaye Man Jaye Hai Mera Sona
Rab De Sahaare Chalde
Na Hain Kinaare Chalde
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Kya Kehke Gaya Tha Shayar Woh Sayana
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Chal Fikar Nu Goli Maar
Yaar Hai Dil Jindi De Chaar
Haule Haule Ho Jayega Pyaar Chal Yaar
Haule Haule Ho Jayega Pyaar -2
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Champions League Postponed
The tournament has been postponed to next OCTOBER
This year’s edition of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament has been cancelled over security concerns following last month’s Mumbai attacks, organisers said on Friday. The inaugural edition of the $6 million event, involving eight teams from five countries, will now be staged in October 2009, an official told Reuters. However, league chairman Lalit Modi said various issues, including scheduling, were considered before taking the decision. “The inaugural edition of the Champions League Twenty20 will now be held in India in October 2009,” Modi, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president, said in a statement. “The governing council, comprising the founder board members, took this collective decision after taking into account all aspects.” The governing council, comprising the Indian, Australian and South African cricket boards, also took into consideration the busy international calendar and domestic schedules of the participating teams, it added. Teams from Australia, England, Pakistan, South Africa and India were due to have played in the event originally scheduled from Dec. 3 to 10 in Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. At least 179 people were killed in the three-day siege in Mumbai from Nov. 26, triggering player safety fears ahead of the initial postponement. England’s national squad suspended their tour of India and flew home but returned on Monday following security assurances to play in a two-test series which began on Thursday. League officials confirmed two teams each from India, Australia and South Africa for next year’s Champions League and that other participants would be finalised by the end of next month
Lakshmi Rai dating M.S.Dhoni
Pics of lakshmi rai with MSD click here
The famous south Indian actress confessed that her relation with MSD ios jus friendship.She even said that due to the test match played in Chennai more hype was created.Last week she was having a dinner date with Dhoni.
Christiano Ronaldo moving to Real Madrid
Professional football club Real Madrid has made a claim that they have struck a secret agreement to buy Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo. According to Bernabeu director Pedro Trapote, the deal has already been agreed upon, but has not been publicized due to a clause in the arrangement, which prevent the news being made official. Trapote had told a confidante of the deal after Real’s 2-0 defeat against Barcelona last weekend, reports Spanish daily El Mundo, which also added that Ronaldo agreed to stay at United this season only if they let him go next summer. “If you are asking me what we are going to do now then I would tell you that we have already signed the best player for the summer,” the Sun quoted Trapote as saying to a friend. “Are you talking about Cristiano?” the friend had asked. “The best of the best. It is Cristiano, there is no other,” responded Trapote. “It is best to not say anything because there are some clauses that prevent us from announcing it now. For us it would be a good time, but we should not do that. But it is not bad, eh?” he added.
Wal Mart to sell I-Pones from sunday
Wal-Mart Stores Inc said on Friday it will start selling Apple Inc’s iPhone on Sunday, but the popular cell phones that can surf the web will not be priced as low as some anticipated.
Wal-Mart plans to sell the black 8-gigabyte iPhone 3G model, which also holds about 2,000 songs, for $197. The 16-gigabyte model, in black or white, will be priced at $297. All of the phones require a new two-year service agreement from AT&T Inc or a qualified upgrade, Wal-Mart said.
The move gives Apple the chance to reach millions of Wal-Mart shoppers who may not be as familiar with the company’s products.
Wal-Mart typically appeals to a lower-income group of shoppers than those who buy Apple’s Macintosh computers, iPods and iPhones, which are typically more expensive that other PCs and music players. But the world’s largest retailer has also lured new customers seeking low prices in a recession.
Wal-Mart used discounts to draw in millions of cash-strapped shoppers during the holiday season. It was among the first to advertise its deals this fall, including hot electronics such as flat-screen televisions.
Numerous websites had previously speculated that Apple would offer a 4-gigabyte model of the iPhone for $99 at Wal-Mart stores. But the phones being sold at Wal-Mart are the same ones already on the market, for about $2 below the prices offered at other locations.
AT&T, the exclusive U.S. wireless service provider for iPhone, currently sells the cheapest version for $199 for a model with 8 gigabytes of storage, and $299 for the 16-gigabyte version. AT&T declined to comment
Poll shows Australians want Shane Warne as new PM
A recent television poll has shown that Australians want former cricketer Shane Warne in the role of a Prime Minister.The poll took place on Nine Network when the maverick Warne shared the commentary box with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during the Test match against South Africa in Melbourne on Saturday.The silver-haired Rudd took on a Richie Benaud-like appearance as he held the microphone. But the entertainment started when the host broadcaster Nine Network asked the viewers to vote: “Should Warne run for prime minister?”The last update of the poll had 70 per cent of respondents in support of Warne running for the top job.”I’m worried, I’m worried mate. You’re running half and half there,” Rudd said.
Warne responded saying, “I’ve got absolutely no idea how to do it.”
Rudd: “Mate, it’s all in the wrist action”.
Warne said that if it is all in the wrist, then he has a half chance.
“I haven’t been this low for a long time,” Rudd said, faced with Warne’s approval rating.
Rudd engaged in general cricket chatter alongside Warne and former Australian cricket team captain Mark Taylor.
A Jumbo Hostel
When you exit Arlanda Airport on the highway towards Stockholm, you will see a Boeing 747 on your left that looks curiously out of place.
The plane sits idle and lonely on a grass-covered mound just outside the airport perimeter, without any recognizable airline colours.
You might think the giant aircraft got lost on the way to the runway and was abandoned here, were it not for the inscription on the side: “Jumbo Hostel.”
Turns out this former Pan Am jumbo jet is no longer taking passengers to the skies, but will soon be accommodating them on the ground. Left inactive at Arlanda, Stockholm’s main airport, after its last owner went bankrupt, the plane was rescued by a Swedish entrepreneur looking to expand his hostel business.
“I got information about this airplane standing abandoned at Arlanda,” says Oscar Dios, who runs a hostel in Uppsala, about 20 miles north of Arlanda. “I thought why not try to convert it into a hostel? Since you’ve been converting boats and light houses and trains before into hostels.”
Construction crews are working through the holidays to get the 25 rooms ready for the scheduled opening on January 15. Jumbo Hostel is already taking bookings.
The 65-square-foot rooms are spartanly furnished, with a bunk bed, an overhead luggage compartment and a flat screen TV with entertainment as well as flight information.
There will be a reception and small cafeteria just inside the front entrance, two rows of rooms on each side of the aisle, and showers and toilets in the rear. The bubble on top is being remodelled into a conference room .
Mr. Dios is hoping for a diverse clientele, including airport taxi drivers stopping for a coffee break in the cafeteria. Rates range from 300 kronor for a bed in a shared four-bed dormitory to 1,350 kronor for a private room with a twin bed and a single bed. The bridal suite costs 3,300 kronor per night.
Columbia crew had no chance to survive
Astronauts on the shuttle Columbia were trying to regain control of their craft before it broke apart in 2003, but there was no chance of surviving the accident, a NASA report said on Tuesday.
From the crew’s perspective, the shift from what appeared to be a normal descent on February 1, 2003, into disaster happened so fast that the astronauts didn’t even have time to close the visors on their helmets.
Columbia broke apart about 12 miles over Texas as it headed for landing at the Kennedy Space Center. The cause of the accident was traced to a hole in one of the shuttle’s wings, which was hit by a piece of falling foam insulation during launch 16 days earlier.
Seven astronauts, including Israel’s first astronaut Ilan Ramon, were killed when superheated atmospheric gases blasted inside the breach like a blow torch, melting the ship’s structure.The crew cabin broke away from the ship and started spinning rapidly. Analysis of the wreckage indicated the crew members had flipped cockpit switches in response to alarms that were sounding. The astronauts had also reset the shuttle’s autopilot system, the report said.”We have evidence from some of the switch positions that the crew was trying very hard to regain control. We’re talking about a very brief time in a crisis situation,” said NASA’s deputy associate administrator, Wayne Hale.
But rapid depressurization caused the Columbia crew to lose consciousness, and medical findings show that they could not have recovered, said the report, which took four years to compile.
“This report confirms that although the valiant Columbia crew tried every possible way to maintain control of their vehicle, the accident was not ultimately survivable,” said Hale, who oversaw the shuttle program during its return to flight after the accident.
TRAUMATIC INJURIES
Analysis shows the astronauts’ shoulder harnesses failed and their helmets did not adequately protect their heads. The lack of safety restraints caused traumatic injuries.
The investigation also found problems with the shuttle’s seats and parachute landing system, which requires astronauts be conscious to operate manually.
Even if the safety gear had worked, the astronauts would have died due to the winds, shock waves and other extreme conditions in the upper atmosphere.
Designing spacesuits that are more automated and integrated into future spaceships is among 30 recommendations made in the report.
“I call on spacecraft designers from all the other nations of the world, as well as the commercial and personal spacecraft designers here at home to read this report and apply these hard lessons which have been paid for so dearly,” Hale said.
Also killed in the accident were shuttle commander Rick Husband, pilot William McCool and astronauts Michael Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla and Laurel Clark.
Will Smith voted 2008’s top money making movie star
Actor Will Smith, star of “Hancock” and “Seven Pounds”, was voted the top money-making movie star of 2008, dethroning Johnny Depp in an annual poll released on Friday of movie theater owners and film buyers.
Smith, 40, is only the second African-American actor to win the Quigley poll in its 76 year history. Sidney Poitier was placed first in 1968 after the success of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and “In the Heat of the Night.”
Three newcomers on the 2008 list — “Iron Man” Robert Downey Jr, “Batman” star Christian Bale, and Shia LaBeouf, the 22 year-old actor in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” — came in second, third and fourth places respectively.
Anne Hathaway, who made her name in “The Princess Diaries” and is now a Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe nominee for her role in “Rachel Getting Married”, was named a star of tomorrow. along with Chris Pine, who appeared in “Bottle Shock” and will play Captain Kirk in 2009’s “Star Trek” movie.
Perennial winner Tom Cruise did not make the Top Ten for 2008 despite being voted Number One seven times since 1983. Depp, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star who was placed first in 2007, also did not make the 2008 list.
The Quigley Poll has been conducted every year since 1932 by the publishers of the International Motion Picture Almanac. It asks movie theater owners and film buyers to vote for the 10 stars they believe generated the most box office revenue for their theaters during the year.
Colorado school chief gets Senate seat
Michael Bennet, head of the Denver public school system, was named to replace Sen. Ken Salazar, the Colorado Democrat who is leaving the Senate to become secretary of the interior in the Obama administration, Colorado’s governor said on Saturday.
Bennet, 44, a lawyer who has served as superintendent of Denver’s schools since 2005, will serve the remaining two years of Salazar’s term, Colorado’s Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter said in a statement on his web site.
President-elect Barack Obama in a statement hailed Bennet as “one of the nation’s leading education reformers” and said he would bring fresh ideas to Washington.
In 2010, Bennet and anyone else interested in holding the seat would have to run for a full, six-year term.
NBA’s Lakers stand firm in economic stand
So far, so good for the high-flying Los Angeles Lakers, whose impressive on-court form this season has been matched by their robust resistance to the global financial crisis.
Although the U.S. recession has forced the National Basketball Association and the National Football League to cut jobs and Major League Baseball to freeze budgets, the Lakers have been remarkably unaffected.
While their players have again set the standard in the Western Conference with a stirring win-loss record of 25-5, Lakers’ home attendances and the number of season ticket holders for 2008-09 have held firm.
“As of this point, we have not been adversely affected but we feel fortunate that this is the case,” John Black, vice president of public relations for the Lakers, told Reuters.
“If the current economic climate continues to worsen, at some point we would imagine it will impact us in some way, as it is doing or will do with most every other business in the country.
“We have been very fortunate and have sold out each of our 17 home games so far this season. And our season ticket renewal rate for the current season was 99 percent, which we are also very pleased with.”
Although the NBA slashed 80 jobs from its U.S. workforce in October because of the financial downturn, Black does not expect the Lakers to follow suit.
“We have not laid off any staff, nor do we have any plans to do so,” he said.
Asked whether the economic crisis might change the way in which the Lakers coaching staff would be able to work with their players, Black replied: “Finances and economics would not impact the relationships between coaches and players.”
GLITZY LAKERS
Ranked by Forbes magazine as the second most valuable team in the NBA behind the New York Knicks, the glitzy Lakers have long been regarded as recession-proof.
Home games at the Staples Canter in downtown Los Angeles are regularly watched by Hollywood actors such as Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington and Cameron Diaz and rising prices do not appear to be too much of an issue for Lakers stalwarts.
“I don’t know if we would use the term ‘recession-proof’ in describing our franchise,” Black said.
“We certainly do not take for granted the tremendous support we have received, and are continuing to receive, from our loyal fans and corporate partners.”
Lakers fan Bryan Gore, a 45-year-old business consultant who lives in Orange County, does not expect to cut back on the number of games he watches because of the recession.”It isn’t really going to affect me,” he told Reuters. “I’m not a season ticket holder and I usually get tickets from friends or business contacts.
“I’m prepared to pay a couple of hundred dollars per ticket and once in a while I don’t mind paying a bit more to get a good seat or get into a big game.
“In LA, I think only big ticket numbers are really going to affect people,” Gore added. “All these people at Staples Center are long-time fans, and there is a fair amount of disposable income that’s still left around here.”
Led by league MVP Kobe Bryant, the Lakers return to action on Friday when they host the Utah Jazz for their first game of 2009. Once again, the Staples Center is certain to be packed.
Naan Kadavul songs free mp3 download
The much awaited film by Bala is going to be released this pongal.The audio was launched here in chennai,the music was scored by the maestro Ilayaraja it is penned by kavinyar vaali and the cast for the movie is starring Arya and the female lead done by Pooja.Arya has worked hard for 3 years for the movie wish him good luck for his hard work.
Making of Orkut
A guy lost his girlfriend in a train accident….
but the gal’s name nowhere appeared in the dead list.
This guy grew up n became IT technical architect in his late 20?s, achievement in itself!!
He hired developers from the whole globe and plan to make a software where he could search for his gf through the web..
Things went as planned…
n he found her, after losing millions of dollars and 3 long years!!
It was time to shut down the search operation, when the CEO of Google had a
word with this guy n took over this application,
This Software made a whopping 1 billion dollars profit in its first year,
which we today know as ORKUT.
The guy’s name is ORKUT BUYUKKOTEN Yes its named after him only. Today he is paid a hefty sum by Google for the things we do like scrapping. He is expected to b the richest person by 2009..
ORKUT BUYUKKOTEN today has 13 assistants to monitor his scrapbook & 8 to
monitor his friends-list. He gets around 20,000 friend-requests a day & about 85,000 scraps!!!
Some other Cool Facts about this guy:
0rkut.com Founder, Richest Man by 2009
* He gets $12 from Google when every person registers to this website.
* He also gets $10 when you add somebody as a friend.
* He gets $8 when your friend’s friend adds you as a friend & gets $6 if
anybody adds you as friend in the resulting chain.
* He gets $5 when you scrap somebody & $4 when somebody scraps you.
* He also gets $200 for each photograph you upload on Orkut.
* He gets $2.5 when you add your friend in the crush-list or in the hot-list.
* He gets $2 when you become somebody’s fan.
* He gets $1.5 when somebody else becomes your fan.
* He even gets $1 every time you logout of Orkut.
* He gets $0.5 every time you just change your profile-photograph.
* He also gets $0.5 every time you read your friend’s scrap-book & $0.5 every time
you view your friend’s friend-list.
worst dressed celebs of 2008
Katie Holmes came first in the list. In photo: Actress Katie Holmes arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala, Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2008 in New York City.
The list featured Lesley Garrett in the second place. In photo: Actress Lesley Garrett attends an after party at the Albannach restaurant, following the performance of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s musical ‘Carousel’ at the Savoy Theatre, on December 02, 2008 in London, England.
Gwyneth Paltrow in a selection from Stella McCartney, came up third. In photo: Actress Gwyneth Paltrow attends a screening of ‘Iron Man’ hosted by the Cinema Society and Michael Kors at the Tribeca Grand Screening Room on April 28, 2008 in New York City.
Mary-Kate Olsen in Missoni came up fourth. In photo: Mary-Kate Olsen attends the New Yorkers for Children celebration of ‘New Year’s in April: A Fool’s Fete’ presented by Missoni at the Mandarin Oriental on April 16, 2008 in New York City.
Madonna brought up fifth position on the list. Madonna performs during her ‘Sticky & Sweet’ tour at Madison Square Garden on October 6, 2008 in New York City
Quake hits Indonesia’s West Papua, four dead
A series of quakes off the northern coast of West Papua, Indonesia, early on Sunday killed four people, injured several others, and flattened several buildings, officials and local television said.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said a magnitude 7.6 quake occurred some 150 km northeast of Manokwari in the Indonesian half of the island of New Guinea, at a depth of 35 km. An official at Indonesia’s meteorology agency said there were several quakes in the area during the night.
“Hotel Mutiara and tens of houses are flattened to the ground,” Pitsau Amafnini, an eyewitness, told Reuters.
Rescue teams were still looking for people trapped under buildings, while hundreds of people had gathered at a football stadium seeking medical aid for minor injuries, Elshinta radio reported.
However, an important BP-led liquefied natural gas (LNG) project close to the area was not affected, a BP spokesman told Reuters.
Manokwari, with a population of about 161,000, is in a remote, sparsely-populated part of Papua which attracts tourists thanks to its diving sites, wildlife, including birds of paradise, and spectacular scenery.
Predominantly Christian Papua, which occupies the western half of New Guinea island, has fewer than 3 million inhabitants out of Indonesia’s total population of 226 million.
Several different tribes, some animist, live in this part of Indonesia, which was under Dutch rule until 1963 and which, despite its vast natural resources, tropical forests, and mineral wealth, remains one of the poorest and least developed parts of the country.
The quake triggered a small tsunami that hit the Japanese coast but there was no damage, Japan’s Meteorological Agency said. The Indonesian authorities also issued a tsunami warning for Papua, but lifted it shortly afterwards.
INTENSE SEISMIC ACTIVITY
Indonesia is located in an area of intense seismic activity and frequently experiences quakes and tsunami warnings. A 9.15 magnitude earthquake on Dec. 26, 2004 triggered a massive tsunami, killing about 230,000 people in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and other countries around the Indian ocean.
Priyadi Kardono, spokesman for the disaster management centre, said that the health ministry had confirmed four deaths from the quakes. Metro TV reported that six people had been hospitalised.
Kardono said buildings had been damaged and power supplies cut in the area. Hotel Mutiara in Manokwari was damaged, with one of the three buildings in the complex flattened, he said.
The BP-led Tangguh LNG project is near the area affected by the quakes.
“There is no significant impact, only a crack in the office building. The work continues,” BP spokesman Nico Kanter said, adding that employees at the Tangguh operations had felt the tremblors.
BP’s Tangguh project includes an operating site in Bintuni Bay, which is about 100 km south of Manokwari, as well as offices in Babo, Sorong, Manokwari, Bintuni and Fak Fak, according to its website.
A spokesman for Australian disaster relief agency Emergency Management Australia told Reuters that the quakes were felt in Papua New Guinea, and in the northern Australian city of Darwin, but there were as yet no reports of major damage or injuries.
PNG generally calls on Australia for help when major natural disasters occur.
“It was certainly felt but as far as we understand there is no report of damage or injury or people hurt. That is our information so far,” the spokesman said.
Azharuddin’s son hopes to make it big
When a tall young man steps into Eden Gardens tomorrow, bat in hand, a wave of nostalgia may sweep those watching.
Mohammed Ashaduddin, called up for trials by the Kolkata Knight Riders, is the son of the now-disgraced Mohammed Azharuddin, whose bat lit up the Eden for a decade and a half since his Test century on debut at the ground in January 1985.
“I have heard a lot about Eden Gardens from my father. It was one of his favourite grounds,” Ashaduddin, 18, told reporters today.
A trainee of Hyderabad’s St John’s Academy, where V.V.S. Laxman too learnt his basics, the left-handed opener hopes the Eden charm will work for him too.
“This is a great opportunity for me. It can well be the turning point…. I am confident of getting a chance. I am very excited,” Ashaduddin told The Telegraph.
Azhar’s magic wrists conjured 860 delightful runs with five centuries — at an average of 107.50 — in seven Tests at the Eden, and 332 runs at 47.42 from nine ODIs.
But if Azhar was happiest caressing off-stump balls to the square leg fence, Ashad hopes to regale the Twenty20 crowd with bludgeoned sixes.
“I learnt cricket watching my father, so he is my first coach. But I have my style of play and I don’t want to play like my father. My father had God-gifted talent; I’ll never get there. I just like to be myself and perform well,” said the young man who at 6 feet 2 inches is taller than his father. His “hero” is hard-hitting Australian opener Matthew Hayden.
He added: “I would like to be described as an attacking batsman…. I like to pull and (Sourav) Ganguly’s stepped-out shot is my favourite.”
What did Azhar tell him before he boarded the plane to Calcutta? “This is my first visit to Calcutta; he told me to stay positive and play my natural game.”
Ashad, like his father, is a part-time off-spinner and is ideal for Twenty20, St John’s chief coach John Manoj said. The teen has hit four 50s in Hyderabad’s A-division league this season for the East Maredpally Cricket Club.
“He’s a safe fielder,” Manoj said. Azhar was one of the world’s best around point.
“My favourite position is the slip; I also like fielding at point. But please don’t compare me to my father, he was a world-class fielder,” Ashad, whose pet name is Abbas, said.
“There is pressure when you are born to a legendary father. But on the field I will be just a cricketer and try to play as the situation demands.”
When did he take up cricket? “I’m a late starter; I started two years ago,” the first-year BBA student said. “I don’t think starting late will be a disadvantage. Like every other cricketer I also dream to represent the country.”
Azhar told the Hyderabad media about his love for the Eden and said he had played his first big match at the ground, for the South Zone under-19 team in the Cooch Behar Trophy. “I am delighted that my son is also making his debut in the same city and am confident that he will not disappoint the cricket lovers of Calcutta.”
Forty-four young cricketers picked from across the country will appear in the January 5-7 trials, to be conducted by coach John Buchanan and Sourav.
Among them is left-handed batsman Shatrunjay Gaekwad, son of former India opener Anshuman Gaekwad, who has already played for Baroda. Anshuman too made his Test debut in Calcutta, scoring a gritty 36 against Clive Lloyd’s Andy Roberts-led attack in December 1974.
Anil Ambani appears on Raju radar
Anil Ambani is emerging as the white knight who can spring to the rescue of B. Ramalinga Raju, promoter of the beleaguered Satyam Computer Services Ltd.
Raju clings to a small 5.13 per cent stake in the country’s fourth largest software exporter and a very shaky position as the chairman of Satyam heading into a crucial board meeting scheduled for January 10.
The Satyam promoters faced a shareholder revolt after an aborted plan to acquire two Raju-owned entities — Maytas Infra and Maytas Properties — for $1.6 billion. Angry shareholders have been clamouring for an overhaul of the board of directors and Raju’s exit from the post of chairman.
The call for change gained momentum after four of the nine Satyam directors resigned when they learnt that the Raju family had pledged their entire 55 million shares (equivalent to an 8.27 per cent stake) held by SRSR Holdings — an entity controlled by the Rajus — with lenders.
Enter Anil Ambani’s Reliance ADAG Group.
Sources say that under a quid pro quo deal that is now under negotiation, cash-rich ADAG Group can provide funds to help Maytas Infra achieve financial closure for the Rs 12,000-crore Hyderabad metro project before the March 31 deadline.
In return for the Maytas bailout, ADAG will be able to pick up a 13-14 per cent stake in Satyam, thereby emerging as the single largest shareholder of the software giant that counts 185 Fortune 500 companies among its clients.
Ambani won’t have to come out with an open offer if he doesn’t cross a 15 per cent threshold through this “friendly takeover”.
Sources say Reliance Mutual Fund and the insurance arms of the ADAG group have been scooping up Satyam shares over the past few weeks after the lenders started offloading the shares that the Rajus had pledged against loans.
Raju had failed to meet margin calls from the lenders after the Satyam stock tanked in the market meltdown since May. Lenders usually lend up to 75 per cent of the value of the shares pledged. The stock has plunged over 60 per cent since May and the lenders wanted the Rajus to compensate for the dimunition in the value of the stock.
Although the Raju family claims that it has a 5.13 per cent stake in Satyam after the sale of the pledged shares by lenders, the promoters’ position is a little more precarious.
On Friday, the promoters admitted in a filing that out of the 34.58 million shares (or 5.13 per cent) they nominally possessed, about 21.96 million shares were still pledged with the lenders. This means that the promoters actually have unfettered control over only 12.62 million shares (translating into a 1.26 per cent stake).
Sources in the Andhra government said ADAG Group had been showing keen interest in the Hyderabad metro project that had been bagged by Maytas Infra.
Maytas Infra ran into trouble of its own after its chief executive officer P.K. Madhav was arrested on criminal charges stemming from the Nagarjuna Finance payment scandal. Madhav was earlier with the Nagarjuna group.
Maytas has to pay Rs 11 crore to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation by March 31 in connection with the metro project but is unable to rustle up funds in a credit-scarce market.
Sources said both ADAG Group and L&T Infotech had been in separate talks with the Satyam promoters and the Andhra government to infuse funds into the special purpose vehicle floated by Maytas for the metro project.
Andhra chief minister Y. Rajashekhara Reddy has brushed aside suggestions that the turmoil at Satyam has jeopardised the Hyderabad metro and the Machilipatnam port projects that Maytas had bagged. “We have been informed by the promoters that there is no threat to these projects,” he told reporters on New Year’s day.
Birth of the Indian Foodie
If there’s one, defining lifestyle change in urban India this last decade, it’s the birth of the Indian foodie: someone who spends a sizeable portion of his income to satisfy a newly developed, but highly adventurous palate. Of late, novelty has become the most important flavour. In a decade of almost 8 per cent annual economic growth with India’s young professionals confidently splurging on having fun, there’s been an explosion in the number of stand-alone, fine dining restaurants in Mumbai, Goa, Delhi and Bangalore where a meal for two usually costs upwards of Rs 5000 with taxes. Food is huge business. In Delhi and NCR itself over a hundred restaurants opened in 2008, serving cuisines from far-flung areas of the world – Brazil, Mexico and Chile among them. But is the big-city consumer as willing to embark on expensive gastronomic adventures in tough economic times?
Since liberalisation, a daring new breed of Indian restaurateurs has come up, who have successfully kept pace with global trends in cuisine and fine dining. Innovations at every level of eating out have been interesting: the small plate concept, for example, where you sample smaller portions of a variety of different cuisines was a hit in Delhi. Several food courts in malls started loyalty cards. A bar in Gurgaon copied the Thailand model: of marking your bottle of whisky which you can come back and claim anytime. Sushi has become a household word. Happy Hours (half rate) ensured a crowd even at 4 in the afternoon. Till recently, the wackier the place, the snootier the restaurant, the better. It seemed like everything worked: eateries where the venue was shaped like a ship or a lounge bar, where you had to recline on a white bed and gaze at an aquarium with only white fish did just fine, despite their lousy food. There was enough business to go around, and a merry sentiment that convinced new entrepreneurs to enter this highly volatile business. Not anymore.
Gimmicks and contrived menus no longer fool the jaded consumer who’s well travelled and on a diet of Nigella Lawson and Jamie Olivier anyway. These days the chances are when you ask someone where they had their last best meal, they’re likely to recall a restaurant which combined fine dining with value for money. Since 2004, the 200 per cent growth rate of restaurants has been nothing short of phenomenal, but in the coming year, it certainly looks like the party’s close to over. A cursory visit to a well-located mall on a Saturday night at 8, that houses two of Delhi’s most exclusive restaurants serving European and Japanese food, revealed open tables and empty seats. At one of them, the hostess and other staff, impeccably attired in black, have always maintained an expression of cold aloofness with guests in an attempt to highlight how coveted reservations at their place are. They now greet the rare client with a beaming smile. Given absurd rents, high overheads and diners who haven’t been stepping out because of terrorist attacks and financial issues, most stand-alone restaurants cannot survive this economic slump – unless they slash rates and give in to the worst scenario in the restaurant trade: private parties. And alas, with corporates’ cutting back, and walk-in customers drying up, more and more places where you couldn’t get a table on a Thursday night six months ago, are turning into banqueting halls even at weekends.
Even in good times, fine dining restaurants have a high failure rate and a honeymoon period that lasts, if you’re lucky, six months. Like the movie business, diners remain wholly unimpressed by names (that explains the disaster that is Tendulkar’s in Mumbai) and why Bukhara remains the leading Indian restaurant, focused as it is solely on food almost to the exclusion of everything else. Sporting events like the IPL and the World Cup help during lean months, but unlike restaurants in hotels, which work on a combination of in-house guests and outsiders, restaurateurs are entirely dependant on word-of-mouth recommendations. They also need to spend a lot on publicity to stay in the limelight and draw in the clients. Hotels, also hit by the slowdown, still have high occupancy thanks to an alarmingly low number of branded rooms available that ultimately translates into business for their cafes. A lot of the restaurants that fold up in 2009 won’t be missed. The ones that added to India’s gourmet map, making Delhi and Mumbai truly international hubs, those with jazz singers from Cuba and the best DJs from England, will.
Air India sacks 10 over weight Air Hostress
Air India has terminated the services of at least 10 air hostesses, who were earlier grounded, for being overweight. Confirming the decision, an airline spokesperson said the termination of their services was carried out “strictly under the terms of their appointment.
” Airline sources said the “overweight” hostesses were given sufficient opportunity to reduce their weight to the acceptable standards. They were also offered alternate jobs on ground, which they refused to accept, they said.
The sources said while 10 air hostesses were sacked in the Northern Region, there were some more across the country who have been served similar notices. The sacked air hostesses, however, said that the action of the national carrier was illegal as they were not served any notice and the decision was taken when the matter was pending in the Supreme Court.
“The action is illegal and against the natural justice. I will soon file an application in the Supreme Court against the order,” advocate Arvind Sharma, lawyer of the air hostesses, told PTI. The Air India, however, justified, its action and said that Delhi High Court had upheld its policy of taking action against overweight air hostesses and the verdict has not been stayed by the apex court.
The apex court on September last had agreed to hear the plea of the air hostesses challenging Airline’s policy of taking punitive action against them for being overweight. “If we find merit (in air hostesses plea) we will restore your service,” the court had said while issuing notice to the Airlines on the petition of the five air hostesses challenging the Delhi High Court.
Toyota shuts plans due to crisis
Toyota Motor Corp, reeling from its worst U.S. sales decline in more than a quarter of a century, will shut all its factories in Japan for 11 days as the global economic slump hits demand and company profits.
The news from the world’s biggest auto maker shows how the global crisis, likened to the Great Depression of the 1930s in its scope and severity, has spread from the U.S. housing and banking sectors to threaten every part of the world economy. Governments and central banks have been working overtime to try to limit the fallout of the global crisis, flooding the financial system with cash, cutting interest rates and increasing spending.
South Korea said on Tuesday it aimed to create almost 142,000 jobs this year through infrastructure and environmental projects, part of a five-year, $38 billion plan to generate almost 1 million jobs.
Chile announced a $4 billion stimulus package based on public spending on infrastructure, subsidies and tax rebates.
“Facing this crisis will be the number one priority of my government this year,” said Chile’s president, Michelle Bachelet.
China, which relies on strong growth to create jobs for its millions of migrant workers and graduates, risks a wave a protests and riots in 2009 as rising unemployment stokes discontent, a state run magazine warned on Tuesday.
Researchers at the country’s central bank forecast China’s economy will probably grow by about 8 percent this year, in contrast to some analysts who predict a much sharper slowdown.
On Monday, U.S. President-elect Barack Obama met with Republicans and Democrats in Congress seeking support for a stimulus package of up to $775 billion over two years, including hefty tax cuts.
Apple says no jobs or big news at MacWorld
Apple Inc said on Tuesday it was dropping copy protection from songs sold on the Internet and debuted its slimmest 17-inch laptop yet, but with no dramatic products or master pitchman Steve Jobs, the company’s final Macworld performance disappointed Wall Street.
Apple shares slid 0.7 percent, lagging by far the Nasdaq’s 1.7 percent gain, reflecting frustration over the lack of news from the trade conference that had previously introduced the iPhone to the world.
“There were some innovative products, but no true blockbusters,” said Robert Francello, head of equity trading for Apex Capital hedge fund in San Francisco. “People were bullish going into it, and now they’re kind of taking money off the table.”
Apple said its iTunes music store, which has sold 6 billion songs thus far, will offer its 10-million-song library free of digital rights management — or copy-protection — by the end of the quarter, for between 69 cents and $1.29 a song.
Songs will also be available straight to iPhones over the air, instead of through a computer.
The company decided not use Macworld to launch any major new product, as it had in past years, when it introduced such industry-changing devices as the iPhone.
In years past, the company’s Macworld product launches had produced so much buzz that they managed to overshadow events at the far larger Consumer Electronics Show. The 2009 CES show kicks off this week in Las Vegas.
Tuesday’s event produced few surprises. Apple announced a $2,799 17-inch laptop that is the company’s lightest and slimmest ever, as well as tweaks to software for home movies and photographs.
The event culminated with singer Tony Bennett crooning “The Best is Yet to Come” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” in a farewell of sorts to Apple, which will no longer attend the cultural event thronged annually by Mac-faithful.
Jobs, a fixture at past events, was nowhere in sight, despite some hopes for a cameo. Last month, the company said its chief executive and salesman extraordinaire would not deliver the Macworld address. That raised fresh concerns about the cancer survivor’s health and signaled to many Apple-watchers that the company had no plans to launch a major product at Macworld.
Sathyam may be removed from Sensex,Nifty
Satyam Computers may be removed from the Sensex and Nifty following the revelation of manipulation in the company’s accounts, analysts said.
Rajiv Mehta, senior analyst with India Infoline, a large brokerage house said his firm has immediately stopped covering Satyam and many other brokerage houses are also expected to do the same. There will not be any investor interest in the company anyway. The company may be removed from Sensex and Nifty, he said.
With the fall in its stock prices, Satyam has lost its weightage in the Sensex considerably over the recent past and currently has weightage of only 1.56 as of (Tuesday). While in Nifty, the weightage is only 0.63 per cent.
Aamir khan lauded
A Mumbai-based public health institute has lauded Aamir Khan Production Pvt Ltd for the actor’s anti-smoking scene in the latest blockbuster, ‘Ghajini’.
Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health has sent a letter of appreciation to Aamir Khan Productions Pvt Ltd applauding him for the scene in his latest blockbuster hit ‘Ghajini’.
The latest Aamir Khan flick has shown a gang of hooligans smoking in a mall which is objected to by one of the actress.
“The scene highlights the team’s sensitivity in correctly portraying public smoking as an unlawful activity, especially since most producers and directors tend to glamorise the act of smoking and some of them defend it as creative freedom,” the institute director Dr P C Gupta said.
“When a celebrity smokes publicly or in a movie as a character, he or she not only violates the law but also influences the fans to start consuming tobacco. According to a research, 52 per cent children have their first puff of cigarette after watching a celebrity light up,” he said.
“We appreciate and thank Murugadoss, the director of ‘Ghajini’, and Aamir Khan for highlighting such an important fact even though we certainly do not favour any violence against smokers,” Gupta said.
Slum Dog millionnare music by A.R.Rahmaan
Maestro makes it to Hollywood again. This time Bollywood’s super singer Sukhwinder has recorded a song for Danny Boyle’s film Slum Dog Millionaire. Starring Irfan Khan and Anil Kapoor, its music is given by AR Rahman. “Lyrics of the song were amazing. It is written by Gulzaar saab and music is naturally peppy, the way all Rahman songs are.I loved singing ‘Jai Ho’ and I must have sung the song so many times that eventually Rahman got really perplexed. Now they are wondering who would edit all the versions and which version is the best,” laughs Sukhwinder.
Film is based on a true story, and it’s about a kid from the slums of Mumbai, who has nothing – he’s ill educated, he’s illiterate – and he goes on the Hindi version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ and wins it. It has tongue-in-cheek humor. This film is written by Simon Beaufoy.
As for Sukhwinder Singh he is all set to ride the Hollywood wave after winning over Indian audience with his voice and melody. His other Hollywood venture as a music director and singer is Steven Spielberg’s next film.
For this film Sukhwinder is recording a ‘kutch’ song. “I chose folk because it will stand out in the crowd.
I refused to take any techno music because Hollywood is way ahead in it. We need to have our own flavor and make our mark with what is ours.”
Athesists strike hard at London
Anyone who has spent a chilly half-hour waiting for a bus here may already have doubted the existence of a deity.
But for those who need further proof, a U.K.-wide advertising campaign aimed at persuading more people to “come out” as atheists was launched on Tuesday with the backing of some of Britain’s most famous non-believers.
The principal slogan — “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life” — can already be seen on four London bus routes. Now 200 bendy buses in London and 600 others across the country are to carry the advert after a fundraising drive that brought in more than £140,000, far exceeding the original target of £5,500.
The money will pay for 1,000 advertisements on the London Underground train network from next Monday and advertisements on a pair of giant LCD screens opposite Bond Street subway train station in Oxford Street.
Organisers unveiled quotes from public figures — including Albert Einstein, Douglas Adams and Katharine Hepburn — who have endorsed atheism, or at least expressed scepticism about any Creator. The words “That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet” are quoted from the poet Emily Dickinson. At the launch in a marquee next to the Albert Memorial in west London, the television comedy writer Ariane Sherine, creator of the campaign, said: “You wait ages for an atheist bus and then 800 come along at once. I hope they’ll brighten people’s days and make them smile on their way to work.”
She suggested the campaign in a Guardian Comment is Free blogpost last June, saying it would be a reassuring alternative to religious slogans threatening non-Christians with hell and damnation.
At yesterday’s launch she said the sheer number of donations, still being added to, demonstrated the strength of feeling. “This is a great day for freedom of speech in Britain. I am very glad that we live in a country where people have the freedom to believe in whatever they want.”
Joining Sherine were Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, Hanne Stinson, from the British Humanist Association (BHA), the philosopher A.C. Grayling, and Graham Linehan, who wrote the TV shows Father Ted, Black Books and The IT Crowd. There were messages of support from the actor Stephen Fry and the writer Charlie Brooker. According to the BHA, “huge numbers” of people in Britain have non-religious beliefs — between 30 and 40 per cent of the population. Among young people the figure is between 60 and 65 per cent.
Mr. Stinson said: “We all, whether we have religious or non-religious beliefs, have a right to be heard, and no one particular set of beliefs has any more right to influence the public debate than any other.
Jessica Alba to act in Goa
Jessica Alba Hollywood famous actress is being roped into Tamil Movies, thanks to Soundarya Rajinikant MD of Ocher Studios which is producing Venkat Prabu’s next venture GOA.Goa is based on real life murder which happend on February 18, 5:00 am, Scarlett Keeling a 15 year old British girl who was sexually assualted and murdered by an Indian Barman, almost 2 hours later Scarlett’s half naked body was found on the Anjuna beach.
Venkat Prabu who have decided to direct this real life murderas movie called Goa, before when Goa’s plan was launched i thought its gonna be more of comedy type movie which had four heroes and four forign girls who meet this guys and dream about getting married to Indian where the story revolves about how the four guys marry them but did’t expect it to be a real life story. I guess its going to different movie from venkat Prabu not like his other two movies.
Jessica Alba is been asked to do the role of Scarlett in the movie. Hope she agrees to do role and act in Tamil Cinema for the first time.
Satyam head arrested
The chairman of Satyam Computer Services was arrested on Friday on charges of cheating and forgery, and the government dissolved the outsourcer’s board as authorities moved to limit fallout from India’s biggest corporate scandal.
Chairman Ramalinga Raju, who resigned on Wednesday after revealing years of accounting fraud, was expected to appear before India’s market regulator on Saturday.
In a late night development, Raju and his brother B. Rama Raju, Satyam co-founder and managing director, were arrested on charges of criminal breach of trust, criminal conspiracy, cheating, falsification of records and forgery, Reuters was told by S.S.P. Yadav, police chief of the southern Andhra Pradesh state, whose capital, Hyderabad, is home to Satyam.
Officials with India’s Registrar of Companies searched Satyam’s offices and seized papers and electronic documents, the company said late on Friday in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Earlier, Corporate Affairs Minister Prem Chand Gupta said the government would appoint 10 new members to the Satyam board, which would meet within seven days. There was no move at this time to take over Satyam’s management, he said.
“The government is considering appointment of suitable persons as directors of Satyam,” Gupta told a news conference in New Delhi. “We are determined to reach the truth but are equally concerned with the fate of employees and other stakeholders.”
A Satyam spokeswoman said the company welcomed the government’s decision, which would restore the confidence of all employees, customers and shareholders. However, she said Satyam had no comment on the arrests.
In a bid to ease investors’ concerns, the Securities and Exchange Board of India said auditors’ certification of corporate results from the December quarter would be peer reviewed.
The government barred Satyam’s board from holding its scheduled meeting on Saturday, called to consider options such as inviting a takeover or strategic investor and appointing an investment banker.
Analysts said Satyam’s very existence was threatened by the scandal, which stand-in Chief Executive Ram Mynampati said has pushed the company into a crisis of unimaginable proportions.
Satyam shares slumped to 11.50 rupees (24 U.S. cents), their lowest since March 1998 and a far cry from a 2008 high of 544 rupees, before ending down 40 percent at 23.85 rupees ahead of the board’s dissolution.
The company’s market value has shriveled to $330 million, from more than $7 billion six months ago.
Tintin’s 80 birthday
Fans around the world celebrate Tintin’s 80th birthday Saturday just as a British politician-turned-columnist claims he knows things about the Belgian comic-book hero that the rest of us don’t.”A callow, androgynous blonde-quiffed youth in funny trousers and a scarf moving into the country mansion of his best friend, a middle-aged sailor? A sweet-faced lad devoted to a fluffy white toy terrier, whose other closest pals are an inseparable couple of detectives in bowler hats, and whose only serious female friend is an opera diva.
“And you’re telling me Tintin isn’t gay?” said Matthew Parris, ex-Tory MP.
Parris, himself gay, is a well-known newspaper columnist who notoriously ‘outed’ Business Minister Lord Peter Mandelson in the middle of a television interview in 1998.
Now, Parris insists, the reporter whose adventures have sold more than 200 million copies and been translated into 50 languages, is gay and that fans are in a state of “denial”.In an article published in The Times Wednesday, Parris said he comes to the conclusion from an examination of Tintin’s life.Tintin, who was born January 10, 1929, on the pages of a children’s supplement to the Belgian newspaper Le Vingtième Siècle, has an unknown background and origin, says Parris, adding: “This is common among young gay men, some of whom find it hard to believe that they really are their parents’ child”.
Tintin’s journalism also raises Parris’s suspicion: “Tintin’s only recorded remark to his editor (on departing for Moscow) is ‘I’ll send you some postcards and vodka and caviar.’ For a cub reporter on his first assignment, a curious remark.”
In fact, Parris suspects Tintin may well have been a spy – “secret intelligence has always attracted gay men. I myself applied for and was offered a post in MI6.”He finds Tintin’s world full of men. Of the complete list of 350 characters in Tintin books, Parris counts only eight women, and he doesn’t find them attractive.
The best known of them, chain-smoking opera singer Bianca Castafiore, is a “diva fag-hag,” while Peggy, the wife of a Latin American dictator, is a “curler-wearing virago”.”The butch, bitchy, bullying, cigar-smoking, hard-drinking, flame-haired wife of General Alcazar may well have been lesbian,” Parris proclaims.
Snowy the loyal fox terrier is the only “unambiguously heterosexual male mammal in Tintin’s entire universe,” Parris says.Fans reacted calmly. “Don’t sexualise Tintin,” wrote one on the Times website. “Leave him as the asexual hero I have always unconsciously assumed him to be.”Parris is not the first person to speculate on Tintin’s sexuality. In 2001, Belgian police seized 600 copies of an unauthorised book titled “Tintin in Thailand” – which showed Tintin and his friends living it up in Thai gay bars.
However, Belgium-based Studios Herge reacted stoutly, with spokesman Marcel Wilmet declaring: “Tintin is not at all gay – he was very macho in fact. He has many friends who are boys but they are not boyfriends.”
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Zardari appeals to world to diffuse indopak relation
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday asked the international community to come forward and diffuse tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad.
Speaking at a dinner hosted for foreign envoys at the presidential palace, Zardari expressed concern that “prevailing Indo-Pak tensions could sabotage efforts being made for bringing stability and peace in the region.”
“The international community should take stock of the challenges being faced by Islamabad and the ground realities,” Zardari was quoted as saying by the Geo TV.
He also renewed the Pakistani Government’s stance that “no compromise could be made with terrorists”.
The envoys of India, the US, China, Britain, Russia and France were among those who attended the dinner besides Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
However, Federal ministers, secretaries and senior officials were also present.
Zardari had recently hosted a dinner for the envoys of Muslim nations and Saturday’s dinner was hosted for envoys of other countries.
A.R.Rahmaan nominated for oscar
A.R. Rahman’s Hindi song from ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is a now a hot favourite at the Oscars. What is not so well known is that the song, ‘Aaja aaja shamiane ke taley’, was originally written for another movie.
Song writer Gulzar had written the song for Subhash Ghai’s latest release ‘Yuvvraaj’.
“I wrote a song ‘Aaja aaja shmiane ke taley/Zari wale neele aasman ke taley’ for Subhash Ghai’s ‘Yuvvraaj’. But then for some reason Subhash felt he didn’t need that song in the film,” Gulzar said.
“So Rahman suggested that we use the track in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ because it fits perfectly. We asked Subhash and he readily agreed. I must say it was very generous of him.”
The number has now entered the Best Song category at the Academy Awards. It also fetched the Los Angeles Critics Choice Award for best score and has been nominated for the New York Critics Choice Award.
Brushing off the praise from Gulzar for allowing the song to be in another film, Ghai said: “Nothing generous about it. Give and take is an integral part of any creative field.
“Look at M.F. Husain Saab’s generosity. He called me up all the way from Dubai to say he loved ‘Yuvvraaj’. After the battering that it got his words came as balm to my soul, specially when Husain Saab said he saw the film twice and liked it even better the second time.
“I happily gave the ‘Aaja aaja…’ song to Rahman when he said it was needed for Danny Boyle’s film. I felt the song was slightly too soft and subtle for the aggressive character (Zayed Khan in ‘Yuvvraaj’). I’m glad they could use it.”
Any regrets, now that the song is going places?
“None at all. Every film and every song has its own destiny. That song was meant to be in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. I’m just happy that a Hindi song is being noticed, heard and hummed in the US by non-NRI audiences,” Ghai said
World Bank names blacklisted Indian IT firms
The World Bank on Sunday said it plans to publish in the future the names of all companies it bans from doing work with the poverty-fighting institution, and immediately listed three Indian companies.
The Bank said the move aligns its disclosure practices for companies involved in wrongdoing that work on development projects financed by the World Bank and those that provide goods and services directly to the institution.
“This change was made in the interest of fairness and transparency,” the Washington-based lender said in a statement.
Until now, the World Bank has only published the names of debarred companies involved in Bank-financed projects, but has not listed blacklisted firms that receive direct contracts from the institution under its corporate procurement program.
“There are currently three companies that have been debarred along with their affiliates under the Bank Group’s corporate procurement program,” the Bank said.
It said it debarred Satyam Computer Services, India’s fourth-largest software company, for eight years in September 2008, and Wipro Technologies, India’s No. 3 software company, for four years in June 2007 both for “improper benefits to bank staff”.
In addition, it said it had also barred India’s Megasoft Consultants for four years in December 2007 for “participating in a joint venture with Bank staff while conducting business with the Bank”.
All three companies were involved in different contracts and their debarments are not related.
The World Bank has long been under pressure to step up its fight again fraud and corruption within the institution and in projects it finances in developing countries.
Satyam’s chairman and founder Ramalinga Raju resigned last week after revealing years of accounting fraud in India’s biggest corporate fraud. Raju admitted last week that about $1 billion, or 94 percent of the cash on the company’s books was fictitious.
The World Bank acknowledged only in December it had debarred Satyam following press reports that the company had been blacklisted three months earlier for “improper benefits” given to Bank officials.
In Mumbai, Wipro Ltd said in a statement its revenues from the World Bank were insignificant and the decision by the Bank to bar it would not affect business and earnings.
Shares in Wipro fell more than 12 percent after the World Bank said it had barred the company from its direct contracts.
Slumdog Millionaire songs download
Top place in the movie industry’s Golden Globes awards has gone to the Indian-based drama “Slumdog Millionare.” At the ceremony in Los Angeles it swept four categories, including best director for Danny Boyle. “Slumdog” features a young Indian man in Mumbai who’s looking for love and competing for money on a television game show. Kate Winslet won two awards for best dramatic actress for her role as a frustrated housewife in “Revolutionary Road” and a German woman in “The Reader.” The Globes are a precursor to Hollywood’s Oscar awards.
Slumdog Millionaire Movie download
Fans of director Danny Boyle’s work will find much to appreciate in his latest film, Slumdog Millionaire, a sweeping, hopeful story about a boy in the slums of India who becomes an instant celebrity after he wins millions on India’s version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?. Adapted by Simon Beaufoy (The Full Monty, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day) off the novel Q &A by Vikas Swarup, the tale is framed within an interesting narrative structure that revolves around the young man, Jamal, being interrogated for fraud by the police, who cannot believe that a “slumdog” orphan could possibly have known the answers to the questions on the show.
Boyle uses this conceit to take us back and forth from the police station, where Jamal (Dev Patel) is tortured to get him to confess how he cheated, to his appearance on the show, to the events throughout his youth that led to him knowing the answers to the game show questions. How did a boy growing up in the slums amid piles of garbage and filth know which US president is on the one hundred dollar bill, or who invented the revolver? Boyle takes us back through Jamal’s life story to show us the mean-streets education that led to him knowing the answers, while managing to avoid making the set-up feel contrived.
The scenes that take place during the game show are a masterwork of interplay and intellect, as Jamal duels verbally with wealthy, narcissistic host Prem Kumar (veteran Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor), who’s sort of a Hindi version of Regis Philbin. There’s a certain level of class struggle going on within the framework of the game show, pitting the wealthy, arrogant host against the soft-spoken, affable kid from the slums. Kumar, fearing that the eminently likable young man might detract from his own popularity with the audience, taunts Jamal for being a poor chaiwalla (tea bearer) and subtly — and not so subtly — tries to get Jamal to cash in and end his winning streak. What Kumar doesn’t get is that Jamal’s not really in it for the money at all.
A screenwriter friend I talked to after last night’s sneak screening called Slumdog “Dickensonian” in style, and that’s a fairly apt comparison. While Boyle immerses the viewer in the poverty and tragedy of life as an orphan in the slums of Mumbai, he deftly avoids delving into the murky realm of “poverty porn,” which treats the lives of those caught in such circumstances gratuitously. This is a character-intensive story, with the narrative lens focused firmly on Jamal, who, in spite of growing up amidst filth, abuse and the threat of starvation, emerges with his spirit, honesty and courage intact.
The heart of the film, though, is the thread of love and friendship between Jamal and another young orphan, Latika, who’s befriended by Jamal and gruffly tolerated by his older brother. The trio call themselves “The Three Musketeers” — Jamal and his brother having been enraptured by the classic tale when they attended school before their mother died. Fate, life, and adults preying on the vulnerable youth of Mumbai’s slums conspire to keep Jamal and Latika apart, but Jamal never sways from his belief that he and Latika are destined to be together.
This love story, interwoven throughout the film, lends a classical, metaphorical level to the film that adds depth to its mainstream-audience friendly, accessible surface. Orphaned children in places like Mumbai are easy prey for adults who force or coerce them into servitude as beggars, prostitutes, and criminals. Jamal’s older brother succumbs to the lure of crime as a path out of poverty; Jamal, on the other hand, does what he has to in order to survive — when you’re five years old, homeless and starving while the adults around you kick you around like a dog for merely trying to scrounge enough to keep from dying, the morality of theft and ownership doesn’t really amount to much — but he never loses his sense of fairness, justice and compassion.
Jamal’s pursuit of Latika is single-minded; She is the only thing in his hard-knock life that he’s ever cared about other than his mother and brother. Even when Latika gives up and resigns herself to the life of abuse that it seems fate has mapped out for her, Jamal is her white knight, relentlessly fighting to free her from the prison in which beauty and destitution have trapped her.
Patel, with his wide-eyed openness and mournful brown eyes, utterly charms as Jamal — I want to see much more from this young actor in the future — and all the cast, including the kids who play Jamal, Latika and his brother in their childhood, bring life and energy to their roles. Sweeping cinematography by Anthony Dod Mantle brings the slums of Mumbai to life, finding the beauty and humanity amidst crushing impoverishment that most of us who will see the film could never imagine surviving, much less thriving in.
There’s sadness and tragedy within Slumdog Millionaire — starvation, genocide, child prostitution and overwhelming oppression — but there’s humor, humanity and dignity as well. Boyle, stepping outside the UK to focus his lens on India, seems to have freed himself here to bring his brilliance as a director to its fullest fruition. Slumdog Millionaire is Boyle’s best film to date, which is saying quite a lot; He’s made a joyous, fun, and wonderfully accessible.
Satyam waits for its new boss
The newly appointed board of Satyam Computer Services said on Monday finding a new CEO for the scam-hit company and restating its finances were its top priority. A possible merger with a rival company is also on the table.
On their first day at work, the three members of the board touched down in Hyderabad, held a quick review with company officials at Satyam’s headquarters and then addressed the media, in an attempt to talk up sentiments and restore confidence among employees and customers. They picked their words carefully.
They expressed optimism, but didn’t seek to undermine the challenges that lie ahead. They didn’t set a timeframe for putting Satyam back on track, but promised to give it their best shot.
All told, the best possible scenario for Satyam, experts said, would be one wherein the company eventually finds a buyer. Deepak Parekh, who anchors the new board for now, said the option of merging the company with a rival firm “is always open”, but gave no details.
To find a buyer, Satyam has to first come clean with its finances, which were rigged by its disgraced former chairman, B. Ramalinga Raju, allegedly to the tune of at least Rs 7,100 crore. Parekh said an independent auditor would be appointed within 48 hours to restate Satyam’s finances.
This is also crucial to raising money to pay salaries of its 53,000 employees and meeting running expenses. “There is a doubt (about financial numbers) in everyone’s mind, including ours,” he said.
“Unless we get some authenticated numbers, no bank will give money.” The board will also persuade Satyam’s clients to pay earlier for the services they have already received.
Former NASSCOM president Kiran Karnik, who is also on the new board, said the speed and decisiveness with which the government intervened had helped restore some confidence among Satyam’s stakeholders. “It’s not completely gone.
There is perception of some stability now,” Karnik said. On Monday, Satyam’s shares rose 44 per cent to Rs 34.40, on hopes of a revival.
But most analysts maintained that it would be difficult to entirely undo the company’s slide. As Parekh said himself, getting a good chief executive officer isn’t going to be easy, because “very few want to leave their job and come to a company with such uncertainty”.
Moreover, employees and customers need continuous assurance, and all of that has to be done in a transparent manner, in public glare. Already, clients are looking to switch and employees are passing on resumes to headhunters.
The board needs to be expanded, but few competent candidates are available in the market. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held a meeting of senior government officials in Delhi to review the Satyam issue.
“It’s a hell of a job,” said Omkar Goswami, economist and an independent director on the board of Infosys Technologies. “The best thing that can happen to the company is that it finds a buyer.
In the worst case, it faces liquidation, but I hope that doesn’t happen
Christiano Ronaldo FIFA player of the year
Cristiano Ronaldo beat off competition from Lionel Messi, Xavi, as well
as Fernando Torres, and last year’s winner Kaka, to win the FIFA World
Player of the Year Award with a total of 935 vote points.In second place was Barcelona star Lionel Messi with 678, while Liverpool striker Fernando Torres finished third with 203.
AC Milan star Kaka was not far behind in fourth with 183, while Barcelona’s Xavi ended up fifth with 155.The
attacking wideman had a magnificent 2007/08 season, scoring 42 goals
for Manchester United, and capturing the Premier League, Champions
League and European Golden Boot. He followed this up this term by
lifting the Club World Cup in Japan.Ronaldo caps off a clean
sweep of the major awards, having also picked up the prestigious Ballon
d’Or (European Footballer of the Year) at the end of 2008.
The
23-year-old becomes the first English-based player to be named FIFA
World Player of the Year, and only the second Portuguese, following in
the footsteps of Luis Figo, who triumphed in 2001.
In the women’s category, Brazilian sensation Marta was victorious, winning for the third year in succession.
The
FIFA Fair Play Awards went jointly to the Armenia and Turkey Football
Federations for the work they did in helping bring the two countries
together politically, socially and football-wise.The FIFA Presidential Award was presented to the United States Women’s National Team.
UK PM says Pakki was unacceptable
Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Monday added his voice to those condemning Prince Harry for calling an Asian army colleague a “Paki” but said the royal’s apology was genuine and should be accepted.The 24-year-old prince issued an apology after his remarks, captured on a video made in 2006, were published on the News of the World website. He said the comments were made without any racist malice intended.”I think Prince Harry knows these comments were unacceptable,” Brown told GMTV, saying the sincerity of the apology could not be doubted.”I think the British people are good enough to give someone who has actually been a role model for young people and has done well fighting for our country, gone into very difficult situations with bravery, I think they will give him the benefit of the doubt.”Harry is set to face an Army inquiry and Brown said the prince would be meeting his commanding officer soon to discuss the comments.
ICC rankings
India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been toppled by his West Indies counterpart Chris Gayle, who moved up five ladders to perch on the top of the batsmen’s list in Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Rankings.Dhoni, who is on the second spot of the list with 779 points and an average of 46.84, had to vacate the top slot to Gayle, who have accumulated 783 points with an average of 40.63, thanks to a series of fine performances against New Zealand.The 29-year-old Jamaican managed an impressive 135 off 129 balls including nine fours and five sixes in the final ODI against New Zealand in Napier, although his side eventually lost the match.
The left-hand batsman was last ranked number one nearly five years ago (in April 2004) but he has not been out of the top 20 since the middle of 2002, an ICC release said.India’s left-hand batsman Yuvraj Singh slipped one rung down to the sixth place while South Africa captain Graeme Smith slided down two places to be fifth.Smith is likely to fall even further with injury forcing him out of the upcoming five-match ODI series against Australia, starting on Friday.However, India’s master batsman Sachin Tendulkar retained his 12th spot with 708 points, while Australia skipper Ricky Ponting (740) remaining on the seventh slot.
In the bowlers’ list, which is headed by Australia’s Nathan Bracken, Zaheer Khan (660) is the only Indian, who retained the 11th spot with economy rate of 4.84.New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori has slipped from the number one spot to second, while Australia’s Mitchell Johnson has gained one place to go fourth in the rankings.However, no Indian figure in the list of all-rounders, which is headed by New Zealand’s Jacob Oram.
Big B slams slumdog millionaire
Superstar Amitabh Bachchan has criticised Slumdog Millionaire, the Golden-Globe winning movie which tells the rags-to-riches tale of an orphan from a Mumbai slum, for portraying India as a “Third World dirty underbelly developing nation”.”It’s just that the SM (Slumdog Millionaire) idea authored by an Indian and conceived and cinematically put together by a Westerner, gets creative Globe recognition. The other would perhaps not,” Bachchan wrote on his blog.
If the movie projects “India as a third world dirty underbelly developing nation and causes pain and disgust among nationalists and patriots, let it be known that a murky underbelly exists and thrives even in the mostdeveloped nations.”
“Conditions world over are so similar. Perceptions differ, but the reality of life and existence, unchanged. Comments for the film Slumdog Millionaire and the anger by some on its contents, prompt me to say the above,” Bachchan wrote.Bachchan recalled that the “commercial escapist world of Indian cinema” has vociferously battled for years, on the attention paid and adulation given to legendary Satyajit Ray at all prestigious film festivals of the West and not a word of appreciation for the entertaining mass-oriented box office blockbusters that were being churned out from Mumbai.
“The argument: Ray portrayed reality. The other escapism, fantasy and incredulous posturing. Unimpressive for Cannes, Berlin and Venice. But look at how rapidly all that is changing,” he said.Actor Irrfan Khan, who plays a police inspector in Slumdog Millionaire, has rejected criticism about the film and believes the reality of Indian poverty can’t be ignored.
Priya dutt speaks
Amar targets Congress MP, reminds her Sanjay had campaigned for Jayaprada when Sunil Dutt was alive
Congress MP from Northwest Mumbai Priya Dutt on Wednesday denied media reports that the announcement by the Samajwadi Party to field Sanjay Dutt from Lucknow Lok Sabha seat had led to a family feud even as SP general secretary targeted her for her reported remarks. Singh said Dutt junior had campaigned for the party even when his father the late Sunil Dutt was alive.
Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Priya said her brother was free to contest the Lok Sabha elections from whichever party he wanted to and that his decision would never lead to any feud between them.
There was, however, a faint hint of disappointment on Priya’s part when she said she had not spoken to Sanjay about his seat selection. “Even when marriage happened, I came to know through the press. This time also, I am informed by the press. I am not the one to bring family feud into public domain.”
She said her family had always been with the Congress but added that “if Sanjay chooses to contest from anywhere, it will be his choice. He is free to make independent choices. There will not be any rift between siblings because of that. The seat from which I have been elected was given by the party to me; it is not our family heirloom. If the party chooses to give the seat to someone else, I will continue my father’s work. It is important for me to maintain my parents’ name”.
She also said it would be Manyata’s choice if she wanted to contest elections and that there was no malice between the two.
In New Delhi, while targeting her, Amar Singh told reporters: “When the late Sunil Dutt was alive, Sanjay had campaigned for Jaya Prada when she had contested from Rampur (in Uttar Pradesh). He (Sunil Dutt) should have then asked Sanjay not to campaign.”
The SP general secretary claimed that when the Congress had asked Sunil Dutt to campaign against Jaya Prada, he had refused. “He had said he would not campaign against people in the industry be it Jaya Prada, Shatrughan Sinha or Hema Malini.”
He also criticised noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani for equating Sanjay with Ansal brothers convicted in the Uphaar tragedy. “Ansals were involved in a mass murder,” he said.
Singh said if former cricketer Navjot Singh Siddhu convicted in a murder case could be allowed to contest elections, the same principle could apply on Sanjay.
All survive in Newyork river
US Airways jet with 155 people on board ditched in the frigid Hudson River off Manhattan after apparently hitting a flock of geese on Thursday and officials said everyone was rescued.We’ve had a miracle on the Hudson. David Paterson told a news conference, calling the pilot a hero for landing the Airbus A320 plane in the fast-moving river.”The pilot somehow, without any engines, was able to land this plane … without any serious injuries,” Paterson said.New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg lauded the pilot for ensuring all those on board, including a baby, were safe.”The pilot did a masterful job of landing the plane in the river and then making sure that everybody got out,” Bloomberg said, noting that the pilot was calm enough to walk through the plane twice after landing to ensure everyone was out.
The pilot of Flight 1549 was Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger of Danville, California. Sullenberger is a former Air Force fighter pilot with 40 years flying experience, according to the website of a safety company he founded.The Federal Aviation Administration said it was investigating reports the plane hit a flock of birds after taking off from New York’s LaGuardia airport.Witnesses saw the plane glide in low for an emergency landing, kicking up a cloud of spray in the river, which runs to the west of Manhattan island.US Airways said 150 passengers and five crew were aboard the Airbus A320, headed for Charlotte, North Carolina.
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot radioed flight controllers that he had hit birds, law enforcement sources said.Mark Wilkinson, a commercial pilot waiting for takeoff at LaGuardia shortly after the crash, said the ground controller told him the plane had sucked a bird into an engine after takeoff. He told Reuters in an e-mail that there were many geese near the runways.A passenger told Reuters that a few minutes after takeoff he heard what sounded like and explosion. “The engine blew. There was fire everywhere and it smelled like gas,” said Jeff Kolodjay, from Norwalk, Connecticut.He said the pilot told passengers to brace for impact. After the aircraft ditched, he said, “People were bleeding all over. We hit the water pretty hard. It was scary.
Chennai may get 3G technology
CellOne subscribers in Chennai could be the first in south India to have a taste of 3G mobile telephony with BSNL Chennai Telephones preparing to roll out next generation communications in February.
A technical team of Chinese 3 G terminal vendor Huawei Technologies is currently engaged in installing the infrastructure to support the first tranche of 1.5 lakh 3G lines that would transform the way mobile users access the web.The projected speeds on the 3G platform are said to be at least 30 times faster than 2G technology.Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi is slated to soft launch 3G services possibly in February first week and the likely dates are being worked out.According to plan, 3G services would initially be available to CellOne subscribers in Chennai before the rollout is extended to other major cities and towns in the State.Meanwhile, reports from Delhi indicate that the auctioning of spectrum has been deferred a few weeks beyond the already revised date of January 30 to enable the Centre to fix a higher reserve price for spectrum bands.Private mobile operators have been demanding a level playing field for launching 3G to negate any early mover advantage that BSNL and MTNL might get.
It is unclear as of now as to how long the telecom department proposes to put the technology on trial before going commercial.The logistics for ringing in 3 G services featuring high-speed data, video and voice transmission involves setting up an additional 1,000 base transceiver station towers. This would go hand-in-hand with the ongoing drive to augment the 2G network through the commissioning of another 2 lakh lines.
World bank ranks karnataka first
The World Bank has developed a new Investment Climate Index to help identify the key challenges and bottlenecks to be overcome in attracting business investment. In a policy research working paper, World Bank analyst Guiseppe Iarossi ranks the investment climate in 16 Indian States, using data from a survey of 4,000 entrepreneurs in 2005. Karnataka tops the list, with Kerala a close second. Tamil Nadu comes in at ninth place, overtaken by Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Delhi.
Having identified 46 variables descriptive of the business environment in the 16 States, the researcher grouped them into three categories: inputs, infrastructure and institutions. Two dimensions were identified for each category: the objective indicators of cost and the subjective indicators of perception.
Noting that both Delhi and Tamil Nadu seemed to be ranked lower than expected, the paper concludes that Delhi was dragged down by poor power infrastructure and the worst performance in terms of corruption of all 16 States. Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, finds its rankings lowered by poor performance on access to finance, lack of skills and availability of technology, according to paper.
The Index attempts to rank the most important bottlenecks to a better business climate, so that governments can better prioritise policies to remedy them with appropriate interventions. Infrastructure is the biggest variable distinguishing between the best and worst States on the Investment Climate Index, with electricity being the single biggest constraint within that category. This is confirmed by both subjective and objective indicators, with the bottom six States in the rankings facing a large number of power outages and large losses due to such outages. The second most important constraint is poor transportation infrastructure, according to the paper. The World Bank used the 2005 data collected in its Investment Climate Survey to construct the new Index.
Woods honoured to speak at Obama’s inagural
World number one Tiger Woods has accepted an invitation to speak during U.S. President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration event in Washington, D.C. on Sunday. “We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial” is the first of several events sponsored by the Presidential Inaugural Committee for Obama’s inauguration on Tuesday. “I am honored that I was invited to this historic event and look forward to participating in Sunday’s festivities,” Woods said on his website (www.tigerwoods.com) on Friday. Arguably the greatest player of all time, Woods became the first African-American to win a major at the 1997 U.S. Masters. The 33-year-old clinched his 14th major victory at the U.S. Open in June but has been out of action since as he recovers from reconstructive knee surgery. Woods is among several celebrities who will take part in Sunday’s event at the Lincoln Memorial where civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. Others include Hollywood actors Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx and Queen Latifah and musicians Beyonce, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, James Taylor and Stevie Wonder. George Stephens Jr, the event’s executive producer, said earlier this week a key theme would be Obama’s place in history among other presidents who have led the country in difficult times. “It’s not a celebration of victory; it’s about the country coming together for the future we’re going to face,” Stephens added. “There’s a sense of history about it. Much of the music will be in the context of that history. The Lincoln Memorial is a kind of sacred site.” Sunday’s event, which will be open to the public, will be shown on U.S. cable TV channel HBO, allowing viewers across the United States with access to cable or satellite television to view for free.
LTTE usig Tamil as a shield
Accusing the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam of using the Tamils as a shield in the war against the Sri Lankan army, AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa rejected the argument that the outfit was the sole representative of the Tamils.“The killing of the innocent Tamils can be avoided if the LTTE allows them safe passage,” she told reporters at the party headquarters here on Saturday. She argued that the Sri Lankan army’s intention was not to kill the Tamils. “But the killing of innocents is inevitable in a war. No country is an exception.” She even took exception to the usage, ‘Eelam Tamils,’ saying it could not be used since there was no separate Eelam. Instead, she preferred the word, ‘Sri Lankan Tamils.’As for the demand for India’s intervention to ensure a ceasefire, Ms. Jayalalithaa said there was a limit to how far one country could interfere in the internal affairs of another country. While her party was for securing the rights of the Tamils on a par with those of the Sinhalese, the fact remained that the LTTE was a terrorist organisation.“Many countries have declared the LTTE a terrorist organisation. It has been banned in India.” Ms. Jayalalithaa said the fast observed by Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Thirumavalavan, demanding a ceasefire in Sri Lanka, was a drama.
Asked about the support extended by the MDMK and the CPI, two allies of the AIADMK, to Mr.Thirumavalavan, she said there was no compulsion that the partners in an alliance should have consensus on all issues.
Asin
With several Bollywood projects in hand, southern beauty Asin Thottumkal moved to Mumbai from Chennai but says she has no plans to stay in the city permanently. ‘This is not a permanent shift from south Indian film industry to Bollywood, it’s just that I had two exciting projects, so I came here,’ Asin, who was adjudged the best newcomer at Nokia Star .
Screen Awards for her performance in Aamir Khan starrer ‘Ghajini’, told IANS. The 23-year-old actress, who was also in the Tamil version of ‘Ghajini’, will be next seen in Vipul Shah’s mega budget film ‘London Dreams’ with Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan.
Chandni Chowk to China
Chandni Chowk To China is a big, bloated misadventure of a movie with a string of set pieces instead of a plot. There are too many gags, too many action scenes, too many item songs, and too much of everything, in fact. The film’s biggest crime, if you ask me, is that it’s an exercise in excess.Akshay Kumar stars as Sidhu, a down-on-his-luck street-side cook in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk who some Chinese tourists mistake for the reincarnation of their ancient warrior who alone can defend their village against the kung-fu crime-lord Hojo (played by Chinese actor Gordon Liu). Encouraged and abetted by Ranvir Shorey playing con artist Chopstick, Sidhu leaves behind his father (Mithun Chakraborty) and heads off to China, where much chaos ensues.
Inspired liberally from Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle, the comedy in Chandni Chowk To China, although largely slapstick, is enjoyable for the sheer good-natured goofiness Akshay brings to his character. I’m reminded of that scene in the aircraft where he repeatedly attempts to slam shut a stubborn overhead locker, or then that ingenious song sequence in which he fobs off the bad guys in his bumbling, drunken state. The film’s first hour is lighthearted and simple and most of the humor’s derived from Sidhu’s clumsiness and ineptitude. It’s when the film enters its second hour that the cracks begin to show.The track involving the estranged twin sisters — both played by Deepika Padukone — and their reunion with their beggar father is too convoluted and distracting, and it takes away from the film’s central story.
India to give Kasab’s DNA sample
India will give Pakistan another set of evidence on the involvement of Pakistani elements in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.DNA samples and fingerprints of Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only terrorist captured alive for the Mumbai terrorist attacks in November 2008, are likely to be handed over to Pakistan soon.Sources say DNA sample is admissible as evidence to determine identity in Pakistani anti-terrorism court. India is also likely to name Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah, leaders of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Toiba, as conspirators of the terrorist attacks in the charge sheet.
India expects Interpol to issue red corner notice against the two Lashkar leaders.Pakistan, which has all but accepted that Kasab is a Pakistani, on Sunday said Indian investigators will “be more than welcome” to help in its probe into the terror strikes.Rehman Malik, chief of Pakistan’s Interior Ministry, said anyone found to be involved in the “heinous” attacks would be prosecuted under the country’s anti-terror laws. “All the culprits (involved in the Mumbai attacks) must be apprehended. Who will support such acts?” he said in Lahore.Earlier, during an interview with Geo News channel, Malik said Pakistan’s investigations into the Mumbai attacks are being conducted under the country’s laws and the government will not accept any foreign pressure in this regard.
Pakistan doesn’t need the assistance of foreign countries but investigators will “be more than welcome” to help in the probe. “Pakistan is very open and the inquiry officers have been bestowed with full powers to fulfill their task,” Malik said. If people were found of involvement in the “heinous” attacks, they would be prosecuted under Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Act. On January 5, India handed Pakistan a dossier of evidence that included information on interrogations, weapons and data gleaned from satellite phones used by the attackers who attacked iconic Mumbai targets such as hotels and a Jewish center.India said the material proved Pakistan-based militants plotted and executed the Mumbai attacks. Indian officials have repeatedly alleged that Pakistani intelligence agents were involved. Pakistan denies that, though it has accepted that Kasab is a Pakistani.
Ramalinga raju
Satyam’s disgraced former chief B Ramalinga Raju, his brother Rama Raju and former CFO V Srinivas will be questioned by the CID on Monday.They were transferred from Chanchalguda jail to CID custody on Sunday and will be questioned for the next four days by the CID.However, Raju is armed with a Hyderabad court order, cushioning him from severe grilling and also the police cannot question him in isolation. Raju’s lawyers will be present.Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy has said that his government welcomes the CID probe.”We welcome CBI enquiry. we welcome any law enforcement agency to come and investigate any angle in this case,” said Reddy.
Meanwhile, the SEBI petition seeking permission to question Raju also comes up for hearing on Monday.
Delhi 6
The starcast of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s most awaited flick Delhi 6 gathered at a suburban mall in Mumbai to flag off the promotions of the film. The promotions were kicked-off through an unique caravan. And while the director enjoyed the moment the leading pair of the film also shook a leg for their fans .Taking center stage at the promotional event were the leading pair of the film Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor. The two did all that was required of them.They posed for the shutter bugs, clicked pictures with their fans and also shook a leg to light up the occasion.
“We will be holding something called the Delhi mela (fate) with chaats and bangles it’s all part for the promotional activity of the film,” said Abhishek.
“It’s a people’s film effort yehi rahegi ki Abhishek aur Sonam India main ghoome aur is film ko promote kare (Our effort is only that Abhishek and Sonam promote the film an take it to the people).” said Rakeysh. Apart from pledging their combined support to promote their film through this caravan ride across the country, Abhishek and Sonam also share a mutual admiration for each other’s acting prowess.”I think Abhishek is a fabulous actor, I think I’m very fortunate to be doing my second film with him,” said Sonam.”Sonam is a seasoned veteran by the way she’s performed in the film,” said Abhishek.Here’s hoping the audiences feel the same once the film releases on February 20.
FA cup ManU wins Derby
Nani, Darron Gibson, Cristiano Ronaldo and Danny Welbeck all the 4 scored goals to lead ManU to a 4-1 victory.But Giggs was at the centre of all the good work United produced on an eventful afternoon which leaves him just three wins away from becoming the first player since the 19th century to collect five winners’ medals in this most historic of competitions.Six weeks ago, United came to the same ground and were humbled as Derby basked in the glory of Nigel Clough’s appointment.The Red Devils reversed that result to book a Carling Cup final place, since when they have enhanced an unlikely quintuple bid by taking a stranglehold in the Barclays Premier League title race.een to ensure there was no repeat east midlands horror show, Ferguson sent his team – showing seven changes from the one that defeated West Ham last weekend – out with a sense of determination.Stephen Bywater was twice called upon to keep the visitors out, first denying Nani with a low save, then pulling off an amazing reaction effort to repel Park Ji-Sung.But it was already pretty obvious Derby needed an unexpected turn of events to emerge victorious and once referee Alan Wiley had rejected Rob Hulse’s claims for a penalty when he went down under Rio Ferdinand’s challenge, it was always unlikely to come.Nani seems to have lost his way a little in his second season at Old Trafford, yet he remains capable of those moments of genius for which compatriot Ronaldo is so famed.And, when he collected Ryan Giggs’ square pass and raced across the penalty area, the fierce 20-yard shot that followed was nothing out of character as it left Bywater with no chance.One Kris Commons free-kick that tested Ben Foster was about all Derby could manage in response before a bizarre period followed in which United were denied a goal that should have been allowed, and given one that should have been ruled out.Ronaldo’s celebrations were cut short by a very late flag after he raced clear and slotted the ball past Bywater. The officials needed to confer before acknowledging Giggs had flicked Ben Foster’s long throw through to the Portuguese superstar.Ferguson was not happy, making his feelings known to fourth official Rob Styles in no uncertain manner.Fortunately, United’s grumbles did not last too long, although how Rafael was not ruled to be offside as he ran straight in front of Bywater as Gibson volleyed in was a mystery.Any lingering doubt over who would be in the last eight was removed within three minutes of the restart.Giggs was again the provider, this time in routine fashion with a near-post corner which Ronaldo powered home, his elaborate celebration suggesting his 15th goal of the campaign should have come earlier.To all intents and purposes, it was game over, even if Miles Addison guided home a header to pull one back for Derby almost immediately.Ronaldo spurned a couple of chances to add to his tally, with Darren Fletcher failing to profit from a rebound.Enthusiastically Derby pressed forward in reply, Gary Teale bringing an excellent save out of Foster, handed a rare start ahead of record-breaking Edwin van der Sar.
But United were too good, with Giggs in particular truly majestic.At 35, with a barrow-load of trophies already, it could be argued the former Wales skipper is playing more consistently well than at any stage of his career.It still rankles with Ferguson that in the 1999 treble-winning season, Giggs, along with the remainder of United’s squad, was overlooked for all the major individual prizes in favour of David Ginola.
He further enhanced his credentials for this season’s player prizes by playing a role in Danny Welbeck’s late effort.
Obama signs a stimulus package
President Barack Obama signed into law a $787 billion economic stimulus plan on Tuesday, predicting the package of spending and tax cuts marked “the beginning of the end” of America’s worst economic slide since the 1930s-era Great Depression.
On Wednesday, Obama will outline another big piece of his recovery effort — a $50-billion plan to help stem foreclosures — in Arizona, one of the States hardest hit by the mortgage defaults that are at the centre of the nation’s economic woes.
Speaking in Denver, the city where he won the Democratic Presidential nomination last August, Obama said the stimulus package — one of the most costly pieces of legislation in US history — cleared the way for Americans to begin “laying claim to a destiny of our own making.”
By signing the bill outside of Washington, a highly unusual move, Obama signalled he would continue taking his message directly to the American people as he tries to stay above the partisan tensions still gripping the Capitol. Opposition Republicans in both houses of Congress were nearly unanimous in voting against the plan that Democrats hope will save or create 35 lakh jobs.
Shortly after signing the bill, Obama issued a long-expected order to boost US troop levels in Afghanistan, where a resurgent Taliban has retaken much of the ground it lost early in the seven-year-old war. The additional brigades would add about 17,000 troops to the slightly more than 30,000 US forces currently in Afghanistan.
“This increase is necessary to stabilise a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, which has not received the strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires,” Obama said in a statement.
That was a slap at his predecessor, George W. Bush, whom Obama has accused of slighting urgent national security needs in Afghanistan in favour of the war in Iraq.
Obama’s stimulus passage, despite stark opposition, was a major legislative victory for the new President, who was closing out his first month in office under a storm of economic bad news and public pessimism.
Even with the promise of a huge infusion for the economy, the stock market tumbled about 4 more percentage points on Tuesday as investors continued selling off equities in a retreat to safer ground.
At least one State, Missouri, quickly began putting the promised funds to work. Construction crews began work on a replacement for a rural Missouri bridge minutes after the bill was signed. Officials said they believed it would be the first project supported by stimulus funds.
With the stimulus measure in place, Obama now must take vigorous steps to prop up the deeply troubled financial system, ease the pain of Americans facing home mortgage foreclosures and save the teetering auto industry.
Saurav Ganguly says no to politics
After getting an offer from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to join the party in West Bengal, former India captain.Sourav Ganguly is being wooed to fight the coming elections from Uttar Pradesh, but he has not taken any decision, his wife, Dona indicated on Tuesday.
But later in Kolkata Ganguly said hat he was not good enough for politics. “It is not true. I am not good enough for politics,” Ganguly said when asked about a report of the possibility of his joining politics. Asked about reports that he planned to join Samajwadi Party, Ganguly quipped, “I have my own state.” “The West Bengal government definitely wants that he (Sourav) should step into politics and when I was in Lucknow for a programme, some minister who was there said that he should come and fight from UP,” Dona earlier said, but she was not sure whether it was the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) which made the offer.
Manchester United 3-0 win over Fulham
Paul Scholes opened the scoring with his 97th Premier League goal, Dimitar Berbatov’s 12th goal of the season made it two and substitute Wayne Rooney completed the rout with his first touch after a seven-match absence.
In addition, it is now 1,302 minutes and over 14 games since Edwin van der Sar conceded a top-flight goal.
However, the statistic that looks most noteworthy is 18 league titles – the same as arch rivals Liverpool. For that is what United seem increasingly likely to achieve after winning their match in hand on the Merseyside giants at a canter.
And, although they will meet more difficult opposition than Roy Hodgson’s toothless bunch, it is hard to see how the Red Devils will relinquish their advantage in the remaining 13 games given they have now started scoring and no longer let any in.
If Van der Sar can keep Blackburn at bay for 89 minutes at Old Trafford on Saturday, he will eclipse the European record of Club Brugge stalwart Dany Verlinden, who went 1,390 without conceding a goal in 1990.
As expected, Rooney was named on the bench after missing seven games with a hamstring injury. However, Ryan Giggs did not even have that consolation as Sunday’s man-of-the-match at Derby watched on from the stands.
And therein lies the problem for all United’s rivals.
Rafael Benitez can only dream of being able to willingly leave out such stars and Chelsea are surely too far behind to have an impact no matter how aggrieved they might feel at Sir Alex Ferguson choosing his programme notes to write the Londoners off.
Although Fulham had no away wins and only three goals to their name, their results suggest an obduracy that might have caught United out. But that was not the case.
While not at their best, Ferguson’s men were well on top when Mark Schwarzer offered the kind of gift not really needed but accepted all the same.
Scholes could probably bring out a DVD compilation of the goals he has scored from the training ground move that simply involves a team-mate dropping a corner into his path.
Typically, the former England star responded to Michael Carrick’s invitation to shoot by launching a thunderbolt goalwards.
Schwarzer should have saved but somehow allowed the ball to squirm its way into the opposite corner.
The Australian is normally the most reliable of goalkeepers but it seemed he had been struck down by a sudden attack of nerves.
Failing to hold a Cristiano Ronaldo cross that bounced right in front of him, Schwarzer could only watch on helplessly as Berbatov steered the loose ball goalwards, only for Aaron Hughes to make the goalline clearance.
The Bulgarian was a conclusive winner next time the trio were in close proximity though. John O’Shea created the opportunity, continuing his run into the box after laying a pass off to Carrick.
Scholes provided the flick on that O’Shea toed Berbatov’s way. Schwarzer and Hughes closed in, neither man made contact and the United striker gleefully tapped home.
Had Berbatov not followed Carlos Tevez in having a effort disallowed for a marginal offside decision, Fulham might as well have started making their way home at the interval.
Not that the visitors were likely to score twice against a team who last felt the sinking feeling of conceding a goal at the beginning of November.
Two brilliant passes from Scholes created a half chance for Berbatov to force Schwarzer into a good save, which at least gave the former Middlesbrough man something to cheer before his net was bulging again.
Rooney had only been on the field for two minutes after replacing Berbatov and had yet to touch the ball when Park Ji-sung let fly with a low cross-shot. He did not need a settling-in period though as he tapped home at the far post.
For a fleeting moment it looked as though Van der Sar would be picking the ball out of his own net as well, but Bobby Zamora spurned the gilt-edged opportunity
Chennai Protest
There was a mini-riot at Madras High Court on Thursday. A grand heritage building was turned into a war zone as lawyers turned their anger on the police in the Madras High Court, after the arrests of 2 lawyers on Tuesday. The police responded with brute force, lathicharging protestors, firing tear gas shells. Hundreds caught in the middle as Chennai’s law keepers fought a pitched battle. A judge were among those injured. Police say lawyers stormed the High Court Police Station and set it on fire. And that’s when reinforcements, even black cat commandos, were called in. But lawyers have quite another story: S Prabhakaran, president, Bar association, says: “Policemen charged in and brutally assaulted us.” Tamil Nadu’s top cop, DGP K P Jain, chose to play it safe: “These are controversial questions. More than one version to it, so I am not commenting, but cases were registered against lawyers for what had happened over these days. policemen were eyewitnesses to these incidents. They had identified a few lawyers responsible for lawlessness. They lodged a complaint after which one lawyer was arrested. So that’s what provoked the incident.” At the end of it all, close to 75 people were injured and cars burnt. But the greatest damage is perhaps to the reputation of those who uphold the law.
Delhi-6
The carpet was set, the barricades grounded, and the security tight. But nothing deterred girls to hoot with the highest tempo to shake hands, express their love and catch a glimpse of their bodyguard-clouded-star Abhishek Bachchan at the red-carpet premiere of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s ‘Delhi-6′ releasing Friday. Women from all age groups – married, college going and school going girls – filled the atmosphere with an electrifying energy to meet Abhsihek at PVR Priya here Thursday night.
‘Abhishek I love you’, ‘Abhishek marry me’, ‘Abhishek, you are the best’ were a few of the slogans the fair-sex aficionados couldn’t stop shouting when the whole star cast of ‘Delhi-6′ arrived at the event. ‘I have been here since the last three hours and I am not leaving the place until I shake hands with Abhishek,’ said Richa Yadav, a Class 12 student from DPS, Mathura Road, who finally managed to capture pictures of her star from the least distance across the barricade. Shouted a gang of eight girls from Delhi University: ‘Abhishek, you have to pick one from us. We won’t let you go.’ The actor himself was in a fix at the response. ‘It’s mind blowing. It’s amazing. I love Delhi and the turn out of the people here is fantastic. I hope it remains the same in theatres as well,’ said Abhishek, clad in a jet-black three-piece suit.
Written and directed by Mehra, the UTV produced film also stars Sonam Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Prem Chopra, Waheeda Rehman and Atul Kulkarni – who were also present at the do. Also present at the event were a bevy of Bollywood stars including, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Kunal Kapoor and movie’s producer Ronnie Screwala.